Holding On and Letting Go
by Captain-MJB
Summary: Isabella Weasley always thought she had it hard being the second eldest out of eight children, but she had no idea how hard her life would become. She remembered the first time she laid eyes on Sirius Black, it was 1981; she was ten years old. SIRIUS/OC
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

 **This is my Sirius/OC Fic! Let me know if you want me to continue!**

Isabella remembered the first time she laid eyes on Sirius Black, it was 1981; she was ten years old.

It was impossible for her to have not known about the death of the Potters, it had hit her parents hard even though they hadn't personally known them. Harry Potter was the same ages as her youngest brother Ron, being the second eldest sibling out of eight children was hard on it's own but finding out that a boy as younger as Ron had defeated Voldemort was unpalatable.

She had found out by accident, well not really on accident since her and Bill had been sat at the top of the stairs, listening to their parent's conversation while their siblings were all asleep.

" _The Potters…._

 _"Harry…. survived…"_

 _"…Sirius…murdered…muggles"_

 _"Oh!"_

 _"…. betrayed….Azkaban.."_

That was the first time she heard his name, in a muffled conversation she shouldn't have been listening to. The instance where she actually saw him, well not really in person, came only a few days later.

Her dad had left the mornings copy of the Daily Prophet on the kitchen table. Isabella wasn't normally one for reading the newspaper, but she couldn't help but be intrigued by the man she caught a glimpse of when walking past.

Glancing around, she stepped up to the table, her eyes taking in the photo of a young man. He was obviously still years older than her, but he was still young, he had black wavy hair that fell past his chin and expression that didn't give anything away but the sadness and despair in his eyes couldn't be mistaken.

SIRIUS BLACK SENTENCED TO LIFE IN AZKABAN.

Isabelle vaguely remembered the name Sirius Black being mentioned in her and Bill's eavesdropped conversation and she still didn't know who he was or what he had done.

"Isabella?" Her mothers voice interrupted her when she had lent over to read the article published on Sirius Black. Hanging her head, she turned to look at her mother guiltily.

"What are you doing? Give me that!" Molly lectured with a tut, sweeping the newspaper off the table and folding her hands over her chest with a huff.

"Who's Sirius Black?" She had wondered out loud, unable to keep her curiosity hidden.

Molly sighed, reaching forward to run a hand down her daughter's face, "A very bad man," She spoke before walking away.

That was the first time she ever laid eyes on Sirius Black but she couldn't say that it was the last.

 **So, what do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

 **Just a note that in this Fic Bill was born in 1970 and Isabella in 1971 then Charlie in 1972!**

 **1993**

"Bloody hell!" Isabella cursed as she huffed out a breath.

"We can't get them all, lass." Jameson slapped her on the back, he too struggling for breath as he bent over with his hands on his knees.

Izzy grumbled, "Well while I'm here running around the back alleys of London, my family are in bloody Egypt soaking in the sun,"

"You're defiantly soaking in something… but I can't say it's the sun!" Jameson teased, flicking at her wet hair that had escaped its usual bun whilst she had been running.

"Elijah," She rolled her eyes punching at his shoulder. He was a Ravenclaw who had been Head Boy during her first year at Hogwarts and who was now a close friend as well as colleague.

They had been doing a routine check on a Muggle Pub in London called Merlin's Magic; why actual wizards would frequent there with a name like that she didn't know. Through the back channels it was known to be popular for smugglers and they happened to come across one Jason Kirk who they had been searching for, for a good few months.

"How is Caroline doing? And Leah?" She wondered after his wife and daughter as they walked back to the apparation point.

"Great! They are just great!" He spoke fondly, going into a tale of how his three-year-old daughter had tried to eat his TV remote. Now, Isabella vaguely remembered her father mentioning something called a television in his usual rants about muggle artefacts, but she wasn't sure what it was.

Nodding along with a laugh, like she had a clue what he was talking about. Working out a crick in her neck Izzy held back a sigh, she wasn't looking forward to the paperwork she and Jameson would have to fill out once they got back to the Auror office. And the likely inquest from Scrimgeour, who was head of the Auror office.

Sharing a look with Elijah, they both dissaperated on the spot to the Ministry.

The lift doors opened at Level 2 of the Ministry to what could only be described as chaos.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Isabella wondered as she watched the many Aurors running around the floor like someone had let a bunch of Cornish Pixies loose.

"Can't say I have a clue," Jameson spoke, "Been with you all evening, haven't I?"

Isabella frowned, something was obviously going on.

Finally making her way to her cubicle, dodging many people on her way, Izzy sat down with a huff. Her eyes scanning the photos around her desk. All different variations of her family and her friends.

Missing her family was something she had become used to since graduating Hogwarts and becoming an Auror, it meant that she didn't have much free time and since now all her sibling were either at Hogwarts or off in another country it was hard for them all to get together.

They were all in Egypt together right now, she'd wanted to go but having been a qualified Junior Auror for just over a year now it wasn't the best time to be taking time off work after she had work so hard to get where she was. It would have been good to see both Bill and Charlie.

Gaze landing on the photos once again it came to rest on the smiling face of her youngest sibling and little sister Ginny. Isabella sighed leaning back into her rickety chair, she was concerned about Ginny since the events of the past year.

She had dropped her tea in shock when her parents had flooed to her flat to tell her that Ginny had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets after being possessed by Voldemort. Knowing all about the Chamber, the Auror office being notified of the goings on of Hogwarts with students being petrified, Isabella had been shocked about what had happened to her little sister.

Her and Ginny were close, being the only two girls with six brothers was difficult even if only one of them were older than her, were close. Isabella had been consistently beating herself up for not realising something was wrong in Ginny's letters. She was fine now but was she really?

"Shacklebolt!" Isabella exclaimed when she noticed the dark-skinned man speeding past her cubicle with papers stacked up to his chin. Kingsley stopped when he heard her voice, turning toward her with a raised eyebrow and an impatient expression on his troubled face.

"What's all the ruckus about?"

If it was possible Kingsley's eyebrows would have receded into his hairline. "You mean you haven't heard?"

"Heard what? Me and Jameson have just got back from an evening at Merlin's Magic. Managed to almost get Jason Kirk as well! " She rolled her eyes at the pubs name.

"Never mind Jason Kirk! Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban!"

"Escaped?...Black? …WAIT WHAT!" She exclaimed standing up, her chair violently crashing against her desk, forgotten tea from that morning spilling over the paperwork spread along the desk but she took no notice. She was in shock.

Kingsley nodded, his chin hitting the papers against his broad chest. "Yes. We just found out. Looks like he did it early hours of the morning."

"But…" She trailed off, unable to believe what she was hearing. "How? I mean how did he get past the Dementors?

"We don't know," Kinglsey pursed his lips before leaving with his pile of papers.

"We don't know?" Isabella exclaimed to herself, "How can we not know!"

Elijah approached the women, an amused grin on his face as he leant against the cubicle separation, flicking his platinum blonde hair away from his face. "You know, love, talking to yourself is a sign of madness,"

Spinning around, nostrils flared at the sound of her partners voice she punched him in the shoulder for what felt like the twentieth time that day.

"Shut up! Have you heard?" She questioned, watching as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Heard what?" He wondered.

"Sirius Black escaped from AZKABAN!" She burst out, eyes widening.

"WHAT!"

Isabella wasn't sure how to feel about the news, ever since that day in 1981 when she had seen the Daily Prophet with Sirius Black's face plastered all over it she had learnt all about what he had done, she had even read the case files when she officially became an Auror, bout how he betrayed his friends and didn't get a trial. But for some reason something didn't add up to her but she just wasn't sure what.

"DWALISH! JAMESON! WEASLEY! Come with me!" Scrimgeour shouted, breaking Isabella out of her thoughts and into action.

"Where are we going, Sir?" Elijah asked as they jogged to catch up with him at the lifts.

"Azkaban!"

Oh Shit.

 **You guys liking? Should I continue? Please review and let me know! Always nice to know what people think… also gives me more motivation aha!**

 **Enjoy your day**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Harry Potter! Thanks for the reviews! Made my day and also made me write this before I was going to! Enjoy!**

Azkaban was a large stone fortress surrounded by the North Sea. Isabella had never been there before, she had seen pictures, but that was nothing compared to the large building that was looming above her as she stepped shakily off the boat.

Isabella had never been to Azkaban before, not in her training years nor in her first year in the Office. That being said, she was glad. Dementors were foul creatures, she could spot them now flying around the top of the fortress, she could also feel them.

Feel the happiness drain out of her and it didn't happen slowly, she felt it happen almost as soon as the boat get within seeing distance of Azkaban, like she wouldn't have another happy moment as long as she should live.

Isabella knew that it wouldn't last but that didn't mean that it didn't feel like an endless sadness. For a second she almost felt pity for the occupants inside, who spent their days surrounded by the obscene creatures, before she remembered that they were all bloodthirsty murders of some kind or rapists.

Scrimgeour turned around to address them as they had all successfully exited the boat, "We are going to be doing a quick sweep of the ground and sections of the prisons. Just to make sure that none of the other prisoners are planning their own escape. Dawlish is with me."

"You two," He gestured to Isabella and Elijah, "Everyone else is busy chasing down leads and searching for Black. I trust you're up to the job?"

"Yes Sir," Jameson spoke as Isabella nodded along, trying to school her face into an unaffected expression.

Scrimgeour nodded, "Good. We shall meet at Black's cell in two hours, make sure you're thorough,"

Isabella rubbed her hands over her face, a rather violent wave crashing over the rocks and soaking into her boots, great.

"That's two hours more than I want to be here," Jameson shivered, clasping Isabella on the shoulder, "You alright, Love?"

Izzy nodded, swallowing as she tried to cast down painful memories. Flashes of her mother's sobs when they were told about the death of her Uncles, when she found out that Ginny had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets and possessed by Voldemort, the whole pain of seeing her family struggle and people judging them because of their poorer status in society.

"Izzy, love?" Elijah's voice broke her out of her memories as his hand tightened on her shoulder, "Come on now, deep breaths, I know it's hard."

"You've been here before?" She wondered as she attempted to push the memories away. She knew it was the affects of the Dementors.

"This will be my third time here in the past six years, only ever to question, nasty lot the people are in here,"

Isabella nodded, "And you were okay when you left?"

Jameson looked sheepish, "Actually, each time I've been here, once I got back I threw up," He admitted.

"Oh great," She mumbled.

"Never mind that now, we have a job to do,"

Isabella shivered as she blocked out the shouting of the prisoners that jeered when they passed. She made a mental note to bring an extra coat and some ear plugs if she was ever to be back here again. She honestly didn't blame Sirius Black for attempting to escape, she'd only been here for an hour and a half and she already felt like her life wasn't worth living.

As bad as it sounded she really felt that way. The Dementors were getting to her badly.

"I'm surprised the prisoners all haven't been driven mad," She commented, waving her want around in front of her, checking for broken wards.

"Most of them have," Jameson spoke, his own hand moving in incarnate gestures.

She paused before asking, "D-do you think Sirius Black was driven mad?"

Jameson let out a huff, "I read in the report that he laughed when he was arrested,"

Isabella eyebrows furrowed, why would someone who just gotten caught betraying their best friends and being in cohorts with a Dark Lord be laughing at being arrested.

"Really? That's odd…"

"You think so?" Elijah wondered, one of his eyebrows raised in confusion.

"It's just… I remember when he was arrested. I was ten and I saw it plastered all over the Prophet, even though I wasn't supposed to see it at the time. He was so young," She admitted, fingers tugging at a piece of her hair.

Elijah nodded, "You're telling me, he's only what… five years older than I am," He agreed.

"Exactly! And I've read all about him, he was in the Order with my Uncles, he was best friends with the Potter's. I don't know the whole situation is just odd to me, I mean he wasn't even given a trial!"

"Are you saying you think he's innocent?!" Elijah's voice lowered as he glanced around making sure none of the prisoners were listening to the conversation.

"No! It's just odd... I wouldn't mind hearing what his motives were…"

Jameson hadn't responded to her admission about Sirius Black and she was glad. As much as he was her friend, she knew he didn't understand or share her feelings about Black. Not that she really had anything to base them on she just had a feeling.

She had read the official case files more than once, as well as books about the First Wizarding War that he also featured in, even a few from the restricted section. The feeling had never gone away the more she had read, and she didn't know why. It just didn't make sense to her but who was she to be saying anything about it.

"Ooooh, look who it is!" A gruff voice spoke, stopping her in her tracks, the prisoners had tried heckling them the whole time they had been here but for some reason this one made her stop and turn to face the cell they had just passed.

"Look at that hair! You must be a Weasley!" The man spoke clearly his teeth bared, yellowing and dirty.

"Come on Izzy, don't listen to him," Jameson tried to guide her along by a hand on her arm.

"I met some Weasley's once," The man continued on, "That was a fun night!" His eyes glinted.

It was then that she recognised who he was. Antonin Dolohov.

"Oh! You know who I am, don't cha girlie!" Her jaw clenched.

"Bastard!" Her eyes flared in temper as her fists clenched along with her jaw.

Isabella had known he was in here but her thoughts about Sirius Black and the affects of the Dementors having made her forgot that he was here. The years he had spent in Azkaban since he had been tried for the murders of her Uncles haven't been kind to him, but she supposed he was already a sight before his incarnation.

He just laughed, placing his head between the bars of his cell, "And you know what I did! They fought back! Cheeky little shits they were, but I always love a good challenge!

"Especially ones that I win! One day girlie, I'll watch the light fade out of your eyes just like I did theirs and the rest of your filthy blood traitor family! If not me someone else will!" He added with a sneer.

Jameson's hand tightened as he physically moved her away from the cell, down the dark hall and into the alcove of the stairs.

"Calm down, you're okay," He spoke softly, placing his hands on either side of her face as her blue eyes darted round in a panic, "You're okay," He added once again, soothingly.

Letting out a ragged breath, Isabella nodded, her movements restricted by the hands on her face. Her eyes closed a lone tear escaping before she pulled herself together.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even stopped, I'm okay." She admitted.

Jameson smiled and patted at her cheeks, "That's okay, who was he?"

"Antonin Dolohov… he killed my Uncles the same year the Potters were killed,"

Elijah's blonde eyebrows furrowed, "Well, don't listen to him, he's full of shit! And he's not getting out of here! Black is going to be the only one!"

 **I'm sorry that Sirius isn't here in person yet, but I need to set up the story and who Isabella is!**

 **You guys liking this?**

 **Review and let me know! Criticisms welcome! Always want to improve my work!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

Isabella groaned, rolling over and hugging at her pillow. She could still faintly feel the effects of Azkaban even though it had been three days past since the visit there. They had been there another hour after the agreed meeting point at Black's cell since they had seeped the cell one more time to see if they had missed anything.

There had hardly been anything in the cell just the normal small cot and toilet. There had also been a Daily Prophet. A Daily Prophet that had her family on the cover. She remembered how her jaw had clenched as she stared down at the smiling picture of her family.

Apparently, the Minister had been there days before and had given Black the paper at his request. The minister had suggested that Black had seem sane enough. Isabella didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad one.

She also couldn't imagine how Sirius Black must have felt, having found out that he's been in Azkaban for twelve years, she had felt like she had been there for days but in reality, it had only been hours.

Groaning again Isabella rolled over, letting out a squeak when she rolled right of her bed. Grumbling to herself, she pulled herself up, spotting herself in the mirror across from her bed.

She looked terrible, black bags under her red ringed eyes, paler than usual. Azkaban had really done a number on her as well as the amount of overtime she had been pulling the past few days it was a wonder she was still standing. Luckily, in some ways, she was on the night shift tonight.

Making her way into her kitchen she opened the window for her Owl who was patiently waiting to be let in with the mornings copy of the Daily Prophet. Rolling her eyes, she already knew who would be on the front page; Sirius Black.

And he was. The same picture that has been there for days, the bedraggled man, moving in violent movements. It was an image that was seared into her brain. It was everywhere, in the Auror Office, the Ministry and all the newspapers.

Just looking at the newspaper brought her back to when she was ten and she'd first clapped eyes on him in the newspaper.

A thud broke her out of her thoughts as she turned to see the family Owl Errol crashing through her still open window.

 _Isabella,_

 _Hello dear, we made it home safely last night and had a wonderful time. I would like to tell you all about it, tonight at dinner! If you can make it!_

 _Lots of love, Mum._

Smiling, Isabella put the letter aside, she knew there was no question about it she had no choice but to go for family dinner tonight before her shift started, not that she was complaining. It was just what she needed after that past few days. Some time with her family.

Isabella let out a sigh of relief when to door to the Burrow swung open to revel her mother's smiling face and rosy cheeks.

"Hello mum," She greeted, smiling into the hug she was pulled into straight away.

"Hello, dear. My, what are they doing to you at the Ministry, it looks like they are working you to the bone," Molly tutted as she held her daughters tired face in her hands, frown now replacing the previous smile.

"It's possible!" Izzy let out a laugh, "It's been a long few days,"

Molly sighed, pulling her daughter into another hug, "Come come, your father is still at work, why he insisted on going back the day after we came back, I don't know," She ushered her daughter into the living room where her brother Ron was sat staring at an empty set of wizarding chess.

Isabella knew why he dad had already gone back to work, as much as they liked not to think about it, it was common knowledge that the Weasley's weren't the richest of people.

"Hey Ron," She greeted before teasing, "Playing by yourself?"

"Izzy!" Ron's head shot up with a smile before scowling when he realised what she had said, "No, I was just setting it up. Dad said he'll play later,"

Isabella squeezed his shoulder as she passed, "I'll play you later, if you don't mind losing two Gallons," She winked.

"You mean if I don't mind winning two Gallons?"

Laughing, Isabella threw a quick _we'll see_ over her shoulder before heading up the stairs to her sisters' room.

"Gin? Can I come in?" She knocked on the door, listening for movement inside, smiling when her sister invited her in. She sounded a lot better and relaxed from when they had last spoken.

"How are you?" Isabella crawled into the space next to where Ginny was sat reading a book about Quidditch in her bed.

Ginny smiled, "I'm…better," She admitted.

Isabella took this time to study her face, she did look better. Her face was less drawn and thin, her eyes were sparkling like they used to but there was still a dullness to them that Izzy wished she could make disappear.

"Good," She stroked a hand down her sisters' hair, laughing when it got tangled, "Can I brush it?"

Ginny nodded causing Isabella to grin, it had something the two girls had been doing for years, whenever Ginny was down or just needed some big sister time, Isabella would brush her hair for her.

"He saved me," Ginny commented quietly after a few minutes of silence.

"Who?" Isabella questioned.

Even though she didn't need to, she knew exactly who her sister was talking about, Harry Potter. The boy who was Ron's best friend and well the boy who lived.

She had met the boy in question at the beginning of last summer when Ron and the boys had stolen their dads flying Ford Anglia. He was nice and was in desperate need of a proper family, or so she'd heard from her mother who had ranted that night to her and Arthur about the way the muggles teach him.

She would be forever in his debt for saving Ginny.

"Harry Potter," Ginny blushed.

"Oooh! What's that blush I see," Isabella darted forward, leaning so her head was on her little sisters' shoulder, their eyes meeting through the mirror they were in front of, "Does somebody have a crush?" She teased.

"No! I-Yes," The younger girl admitted.

Isabella smiled, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, I was your age when I got my first crush, it was on a friend of Bill's actually,"

"Really?" Ginny's face lit up, "Can you tell me more?"

"Yes!" Izzy infused, glad to see her sister getting back to some normalcy after the year she had, had.

"Did you hear about Sirius Black?" Ron questioned as he passed her the mash potatoes later that night.

"Honestly Ron, Of course she has!" Fred cried.

"She is and Auror, you know." George finished his twins' sentence.

"I know," Ron grumbled back.

Isabella had frozen, fork halfway to her mouth, the peas rolling around and spilling back onto her plate, "Yes, the Auror office has been very busy."

"As to be expected," Arthur added in, carful to avoid his wife's glare. She was clearly not pleased about the current topic of conversation.

"Did you have to go to Azkaban?" Ron wondered again, the twins leaning forward eager to hear what she was going to say, even Percy looked intrigued.

If there could have been steam coming out of Molly's nose at the fact that the conversation was continuing then there would have been, "Of course she hasn't, now…"

"Actually, I had to go a few days ago," She commented without thinking, wincing when her mother let out a loud gasp, her hands flying to her mouth. "It's not a place I would go again, dreadful honestly,"

"No wonder Sirius Black wanted to escape," Fred stated, one eyebrow raised.

Molly slammed a hand down on the table causing the plates to rattle and all her children to stop and stare at her. "That's it, I will not have anymore talk of Sirius Black at my dinner tale!" She snapped.

Isabella stared at her plate as she pushed the peas around, her mood souring at the though of Azkaban and Sirius Black.

No matter where she went the man seemed to be always in her thoughts and conversations.

 **I know it's a bit slow and I apologise but I have to set the story up!**

 **What do you think?**


	5. Chapter 5

**I Don't Own Harry Potter!**

 **Thank you for the reviews! It once again helped me to write faster! Hope you are all having a nice week!**

"Why would he be here," Isabella huffed as she kicked at a few stones.

They had been on their fourth Sirius Black alleged sighting of the day. FORTH. And it was only almost dinner time.

"I thought I'd joined the Auror office not the local Hiking club," She continued as she looked around at the scenery which was basically a bunch of rocks and grass.

It was one of the weirdest places they'd been called to, well apart from the travelling circus when a wizard had mistaken one of the acts for Black, that had been an interesting day to say the least.

"I can just see It now, we're just walking along and then BAM! All of a sudden there's Sirius Black sunbathing on the grass with an ice-cold bottle of Firewhisky," She joked.

Elijah raised an eyebrow, "Where would he have gotten Firewhisky from?"

Isabella stopped walking, her boots making a squeaking sound on the uneven floor. Dust blowing up around where she had stopped causing her to sneeze much to her annoyance.

"That's what you got from that? Where would he have got Firewhisky from? Honestly."

Jameson shrugged, his eyes sweeping around for any sighting of well, anyone really.

It was more than likely someone wasting the Auror's time. Which is something they had both thought as soon as they had apparated to some random field in Wales.

And that's what it was… a field. If Sirius Black had any common sense he wouldn't be somewhere where there was no place to hide if he got caught. Or well, that's what Isabella would have thought if she was on the run from the authorities after escaping a high security prison guarded by your literal worse nightmare.

"Well… I mean, I guess Black would need a bit of sun after spending all that time in Azkaban don't you think, love?" Elijah smiled.

Isabella rolled her eyes, unable to stop the small smile spreading across her lips as she shoved her partner playfully.

"Well I hate the sun, I burn easily considering I'm a red head," She grumbled, pulling at her hair.

"The curse of being a Weasley, eh?" He chuckled."Come on, lets get back to the office… this is a dead end. We're never going to find him here," Jameson continued, turning back around to walk the mile back to the nearest apperation point.

It was safer to go there just in case there was a chance of anyone seeing.

Isabella nodded, secretly thinking that she hoped they never did find him, as she followed behind her partner.

She was just about to catch up when a flash of black in the corner of her eye made her pause and turn towards the trees surrounding the edge of the field. Her eyes scanning for what she could have seen but coming up empty. Weird, it was probably just a bird.

Sirius ducked behind a tree, still as Padfoot, as he watched the two Auror's walk back to where they came from. Tensing as the younger of the two paused and looked over in his direction before turning back to her presumed partner deciding that she hadn't seen anything worth investigating. Luckily for him.

He'd been staying in the back alleys of a small Welsh town only a few minuets from where he was now, only had been for the past two days, but it was obviously someone had spotted him. He had come to the field to stretch his legs, his human legs.

He probably would have gotten spotted by the two Auror's if he hadn't noticed them coming by the sunlight glinting of the women's astoundingly red hair.

It caused him to quickly turn back into Padfoot and to get out of sight before they could see him but for some reason he decided to stay and watch them, a risky move he shouldn't have taken but one that may have paid off.

The female Auror was a Weasley.

He'd heard the women joking bout him sunbathing, it had caused a small smirk to appear on his face at her attitude towards trying to find him.

She was part of the red headed family he had seen in the newspaper Fudge had given him. The family that he was hiding with, against their knowledge. Sirius felt his insides burn with rage as he thought about Peter and what the little rat had cost him. What he had cost Lily and James.

The women hadn't been in the photo, but he could recognise the hair both from the photo and the two other Weasley's he had known from the order.

Maybe she could lead him to Peter.

"Hey! Tonks!" Isabella shouted as she jogged toward the pink haired women a few meters in front of her.

She had known the younger women for a long time since she was a close friend of her brother Charlie. Even though they weren't friends themselves they always had interesting conversations whenever they did talk.

"Wotcher Izzy!" The trainee Auror spun on her feet to face the older women, wobbling slightly as she caught her balance, "How are you doing?"

"Honestly, I've been very busy, but I wanted to ask you a question," Isabella admitted," You're related to Sirius Black, right?" She continued carefully once she had received a not to continue from Tonks.

Tonks sighed, great.

"Not you too! I've already told, the last like twenty people who have asked! I don't know where he is!" The metamorphmagus fumed.

She was sick of people asking her that question over and over again since she hadn't seen Sirius since she was a child.

"What?" Isabella cried, "No! I just wanted to make sure you were okay given the situation and how you were doing."

Tonks let out a small sigh of relief, "Oh! I'm sorry but that's all everyone wants to talk about with me nowadays,"

Isabella hummed, feeling sorry for the younger women, it wasn't her fault who she was related to.

"Fancy getting some lunch?"

 **Yay! More glimpses of Sirius! And Tonks!**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I Don't own Harry Potter! Shorter and a little different that usual...kinda like a little interlude.**

Sirius knew that he was practically sat waiting to be caught as he ducked into an ally just outside one of the entrances to the Ministry, it had been the third entrance he had sat outside waiting to catch a glimpse of the Weasley women or even Arthur Weasley.

It was a risk, but knowing it could lead him to Peter, getting put back in Azkaban would be worth it if he gets his revenge on the rat for all that he did.

Luckily, he did have Padfoot to fall back on. All those years ago when they had become illegal Animagus to help Moony through his transformations he couldn't have imagined it would be something that saved him from insanity. From himself. But it also helped Peter get away with betrayal and murder.

His heart clenched as he thought of James and Lily, little Harry who he had no idea where he was right now. He thought of Remus and how he would probably be surrounded in a bubble of self-pity that he didn't deserve without anyone other than himself. Much like he had been.

Then, Sirius thought of Peter. The spineless little coward. All that mattered was his revenge and Harry. He had to find Harry.

Sirius was brought out of his hatred when he caught sight of that red hair that he had engrained in his mind, his ears perked up as she walked out of the telephone box.

He took this time to take her in properly for the first time, having only seen her at a distance. She had a pale complexion, freckles covering her nose, her lips pursed in thought as she walked. She was dressed in a muggle coat and black jeans meaning she must live somewhere in the Muggle world.

Sirius followed her, trying to keep to the shadows of buildings so he wouldn't look suspicious. She didn't seem to be heading to the apparition point he had seen many other do that day which he was thankful for, it also meant that she lived close by.

He trotted behind her for ten minuets before she stopped at a set of flats, pressing in a code, which he memorised and entering the building. He couldn't go after her, it would be too suspicious if a giant dog suddenly came wondering through the doors.

No. He would wait till she was gone and then go in. He had to find Peter.

Isabella shuddered as she let herself into her flat. She couldn't help but feel like she was being followed, which was stupid, even though she was an Auror her life wasn't some Muggle horror movie.

Making her way to her kitchen table she got the file out of her bag, putting it down on the table before she sat. SIRIUS BLACK and his Azkaban number stared back at her from the front of the file. She had made a copy of it while she had been in the office, all the Aurors have been given permission to do that and study the files in order to see if anything triggered where he would be.

But she hadn't copied it to crack down on finding him, no. There was just something about the whole thing that she couldn't get her head round and it was starting to frustrate her. Why did she think a mass murderer could be innocent when she had no reason too?

Opening the file Isabella froze. There were the usual pictures of him in Azkaban and just after he got arrested, ones that have been floating around everywhere. But there were new pictures. Ones she had never seen before.

Three to be exact. One was a group picture of the Order of the Phoenix, where they had got this picture she wasn't sure, but it was there. Running her hand over the copied picture, her fingers lingering on her Uncle's smiling faces before they landed on Black.

She recognised Lily and James Potter standing near him, a short chubby man who she didn't recognise behind them. Isabella had known what had happened to most of the Order, having researched it. It took her a good few minuets to realise that the man was Peter Pettigrew. The man who Sirius had killed along with the muggles. Or well so they said he did. No. He did.

Placing the photo to the side, she picked up the next one. This was a picture of five of the people she had just seen in the Order photo, their names inscribed on the bottom of the photo. Lily Potter, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin on the Potters wedding day.

Sighing she reached for the last photo, he eyes widening in shock. It was Sirius and James and what she read as James' parents. It was almost like a family portrait, no…. it was one. The way in the moving picture that Sirius smirked at the camera as James smiled, his parents gazing lovingly at them both.

Sirius then looked up at the Potters, a familial love shining in his eyes.

Isabella leant back in her chair, a hand over her mouth, forehead creased in confusion.

They were a family. If Black really did betray James and Lily and selling them to Voldemort he didn't just betray his friends, he was betraying his family.

She knew that the Potter's weren't his biological family, he was a Black after all and as much as she loved her family she could understand that family isn't just blood, it's what you make it to be.

And why would he destroy what he obviously loved so much, she could see it in his sparkling grey eyes.

Quickly looking through the pages to see where the photos had come from she paused when she came across the name of the Auror responsible.

Alastor Moody.

 **Like I said shorter and different**

 **Hope you still enjoyed! Let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

 **Things are going to start speeding up into POA after this chapter!**

The Auror office, as usual, was bustling with activity. Or, well, everyone else was bust and Isabella was sat at her standard oak wood desk with nothing to do. That was a lie, she had something to do, she just didn't want to do it.

It wasn't that she thought that the work she was given to do was pointless, she loved being an Auror. But there was only so many times she… and everyone else could go looking for Sirius Black when there were other dangerous wizards and witches around.

She found it hard to understand why everyone was on the Sirius Black case and every other issue had been suspended until he was caught. Sure, everybody should be on the lookout for him, but the world didn't stop turning because Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. The criminals didn't stop being criminals.

Especially Jason Kirk.

She hated him with a passion. He had been her third case as an official Junior Auror and they had been on the case ever since. For some reason he just keeps slipping through her and Elijah's fingers and escalating his business all the while.

Business wouldn't be the word for it, since it was completely illegal. He had been smuggling illegal artefacts and substances into the country for almost twenty years and giving them to people who didn't want to use them to make Pepper Up potions. It had taken the Auror Office fourteen years to even find out who he was, having had a face but no name to put with it. They had also found out he was a well-known Death Eater in the First Wizarding War.

They had been so close to him the day Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban and haven't been able to follow up on it since.

"Hoping he'll jump out of the picture, so we'll not have to go trailing around after him anymore?" Jameson questioned as he suddenly popped up behind her.

"Bloody hell! "Isabella cursed, almost falling out of her chair in shock, "What are you talking about?"

Elijah waved his hand to the notice bored hung on the divider behind her desk, an enlarged picture of Sirius Black in the middle surrounded by various memos, Jason Kirk in the corner with all the information they knew about him scribbled around him.

"You were staring longingly at Sirius Black, I guess he could be rather dashing bloke if he was cleaned up, but unfortunately a mass murderer and way too old for you,"

"Age is just a number, just like grey is just a colour," Isabella spoke absentmindedly, she hadn't realised she had been staring at Sirius' picture or that she had obviously taken a shine to the colour of his eyes.

Jameson frowned as he crouched down in the small space near her desk, leaning closer so their conversation was more private, "What's wrong with you, you don't really fancy the bloke, do you? I was only joking… I mean he is a mass murderer in case you have forgot."

"What!" Isabella shot up in her seat, elbow knocking painfully into the arm of the chair, "No! I can admit he used to be a good lucking guy but that isn't about that! This is about him!" She gestured to Jason Kirk.

"We were so close to getting the bastard and then we haven't had chance to even follow it up since then. Why would you even think that about Black!"

"I'm sorry," Elijah apologised, "You've just been acting weird recently, it was only a joke honestly," He patted her on the back before making his way back to his own cubical, throwing a concerned glance at her over his shoulder.

Isabella turned back to her notice bored, her eyes lingering on Sirius Black as she sighed to herself.

Sirius had waited three days before he had his move, he's been out of Azkaban for two weeks now and staying hidden was getting more difficult. He found it best to not stay in one place for more than two days but that had changed since he had been outside the Weasley's flat.

He was thankful that she lived in muggle London as the chance of him getting recognised in human form when he entered the building was less.

Sirius looked down at himself, the coat he stole looking unusual as it was mid-august but hid his tattered 'jumpsuit' underneath. It would have to do.

He quickly punched in the numbers to open the front door, ones he'd seen the Weasley do numerous times not, keeping his head down and ignoring the looks he was getting. They probably thought he was a homeless man… which in a way he was.

Luckily for him, the flat had its tenants and the number of their flat in order for people to be buzzed in. Well, that saved him a lot of time.

Reaching her door Sirius held his breath, hoping that she had left a spare key under her door mat. She had… not very safe for an Auror but he wasn't going to judge.

He walked into her flat, eyes taking in his surroundings. The furniture wasn't much, just what she needed for basics, but she had made the flat her own and had an obvious like of pictures since there were a lot of them.

Sirius made his way over to her kitchen table where he could see stacks of papers piled up and what seemed to be a file. His file. Along with some memos… at least he now knew that the Weasley was called Isabella.

Rolling his eyes, he moved away from the table, not wanting to read the bullshit the ministry had written in the file.

Pausing when he saw the congregation of pictures to the left, his fists clenching at his side as he came across the one of them all at Lily and James' wedding, they all looked happy. Picking up the photo he held it in front of his, looking at all their faces individually before he landed on Peter.

His fists clenched on the photo causing to wrinkle at the corner. He didn't think before he folded the photo over, hiding Peter from view before throwing it back on the cluttered kitchen table. He came here for a reason.

Making his way over to the fire place, Sirius took in the many photos of red heads, his eyes searching for the traitorous rat. His eyes widening when he saw it, there he was, with the youngest boy. It was a recent photo due to the fact that Isabella looked the same as she had the past few days.

He knew what he needed to do, where he needed to go.

Isabella walked into her flat with a groan. Another day of not doing her job and chasing after Sirius Black. Someone, who having been on the run for two weeks, they probably weren't going to find him any time soon. But there had to be some way he was evading them, she was curious to know how.

Making her way over to the kitchen to make herself some tea, Isabella froze. Something wasn't right.

Her eyes landed on her kitchen table where she had left the file, everything still where she left it expect one photo. That was weird.

Picking up the picture, she frowned, half of it was folded over, hiding the man she knew to be Peter Pettigrew from the rest of the photo.

What was going on?

 **So, I have two questions! Please answer!**

 **1)** **Would you rather have shorter chapters like these and more frequent updates or long chapters with more time between updates?**

 **2)** **I still haven't decided if I'm going to go slightly AU at the end of POA or not… what do you guys think?**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Let me know and have a nice Monday:P**


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

 **And I have decided on since it seemed to be the most popular opinion for it to be shorter updates but frequent.**

 **Also, as someone pointed out, leaving a key under a doormat is stupid (even though some people do it) I had to have a way for Sirius to get into her flat and it was the only way I could think of.**

Two weeks. She had been antagonising over the photograph for two weeks. She couldn't help but feel like someone had been in her flat. No. She knew that someone had been in there, the picture hadn't bent itself, as magical as it was that just didn't happen.

Isabella had thought about telling someone her suspicions but had decided against it. They would have probably thought she had gone crazy. What exactly could she had said, _yeah hi, I think someone broke into my apartment and folded a photograph over. Oh, what photograph? Just one of Sirius Black and the Potters I had lying around._

Rolling her eyes Isabella threw the picture down on her kitchen table in anger.

Nothing made sense.

This past almost month since Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban had been one of the worst of her life, maybe that was being dramatic, but she didn't like not knowing what was going on. The Auror office may think that Sirius Black's escape was a simple he didn't want to be in jail breakout, but she knew it wasn't.

She didn't know why she knew this she just did. Her fists clenched around the top of the chair she was leaning on. Why was it only her that had realised that the facts didn't add up with this case, none of them did. She supposed no one really cared but her, for some reason.

Isabella was going to find out the truth about Sirius Black's arrest, even if she though she was going crazy. Why did she want to believe a mad murderer and madman wasn't one?

Kingsley Shacklebolt practically stomped, unusual as it was for him, past her cubicle the next day, her chair almost shaking with the force of his steps. Or was that the taping of her leg.

Isabella shot up, intrigued at the furious look on his face. She followed him, having to jog slightly, he was quite taller than her, to keep up with his fast pace.

"Kingsley!" She breathed, she'd always liked the man and was close to him, he had been one of her training officers after all. The older man stopped, spinning round to face her, the furious expression not moving from his face.

"What's wrong… you look abit," She paused, "frustrated?"

Kingsley sighed heavily, "You haven't heard?"

"No? Heard what?" Isabella wondered, pulling at a strand of her hair.

"Dementor's are going to be stationed at Hogwarts, at the perimeter, they think Black is going to go after Harry Potter"

"What! At Hogwarts! My brothers and sister are there!" She raged, suddenly filled with so much anger that it surprised herself, she knew why.

She was a grown woman and the Dementors had affected her for days after being around the for just a few hours. Sure, they were going to be on the perimeter, but she didn't want her siblings around them full stop.

"Whose genius idea was this? I'm sure Scrimgeour can't be that stupid," She hissed.

Kingsley ignored her insult to a senior officer as he admitted, "It was the Ministers idea,"

"This is bullshit! The way things are going and if this is how the Minister feels he needs to act, having those foul creatures around children, I hope they don't find Black!" Isabella hissed, her eyes flaring in anger.

Kingsley grasped her arm, pulling her closer to the wall of the corridor they were standing in, his eyes searing behind her head and over his shoulder before he turned back to her, eyes intense.

"You need to think about what you are saying and where you are saying it, Isabella. You are a good Auror but if anyone else hears you talking like that you are going to get in some big trouble," He advised quietly, meeting her eyes.

Isabella nodded, swallowing, "Kingsley… something isn't right about this…" She admitted.

"About what? The Dementors, Yes, I can't say I agree with it myself," Kingsley looked confused.

"I…" She contemplated telling him everything, "Yeah, the Dementors,"

Kingsley didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway. "Let's just hope it works out for the best and we catch Black without an incident,"

"Hey! Ron, Hermione, Harry!" Isabella shouted as she spotted the three children in Diagon Alley, she had been on the way to meet up with her family for dinner.

"Hey Izzy!" Ron greeted with a large smile, "Harry, Hermione, you remember my sister Izzy, right?"

Hermione nodded, having met the older Weasley in passing once or twice, "Isabella wasn't it? It's nice to see you again," She spoke causing Ron to roll his eyes.

Isabella just smiled, "It's nice to see you again as well Hermione! Of course, you too Harry!" She slapped the younger boy on the back, "Been hearing a lot about you at the Ministry, blowing up your Aunt and all," She winked causing Harry to laugh.

"So, where are you all off too?"

"We were just heading to the Magical Menagerie," Harry spoke.

Isabella nodded, inviting herself along to go with them, not that they minded or well she hoped they didn't She laughed along with Harry at Ron and Hermione's bickering as they made their way into the shop. She raised her eyebrows at the giant purple toads, she had always hated toads.

She listened as Ron questioned the witch behind the counter about Scabbers, she had always hated the rat, as well as toads she couldn't stand rats as well. Bloody little things.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," She head the witch say as she was examining the giant tortoise. That was weird, Scabbers must have been very resilient as he was way more than three years old which was interesting. Maybe they had a phenomenon on their hands. Well, not her hands she would never touch that stupid rat.

Isabella watched in amusement as a ginger cat attacked the rat, it could have him for all she cared. She chuckled leaning against the wall outside the Magical Menagerie as they ran around Diagon Alley looking for Scabbers.

"Think it will be successful next time?" She chuckled as Hermione came out of the shop with the cat called Crookshanks.

Isabella stood with her parent's arms folded over her chest, eyebrows furrowed at the conversation, well argument that was happening around her.

She had already had to listen to her father tell Ron and Harry about them not having caught Black and how they had been pulled off their regular jobs for it, as ridiculous as that is. Now she had to listen to this.

She listened to them argue about telling Harry that they thought Sirius Black was after him, the evidence did support that but after Fudge putting Dementors at Hogwarts, she wasn't going to trust anything the Minister says again.

"I think we should just tell them, all of them not just Harry, to be on their guard. Not just because of Black but because the Dementors are going to be at the Perimeters of Hogwarts as well," Isabella admitted, sighing when her parents both turned to look at her in angry shock. They didn't seem impressed.

"He deserves to know a mass murderer is after him!" Arthur protested.

"Dad! We don't know what Sirius Black's motives actually are!"

Arthur's brows furrowed, "But the Minister…"

"I don't give a toss what the Minister said!" She cut him off angrily, "We don't need to go around scaring him when he may not even need to be scared! He's got enough to worry about as it is,"

Molly's eyes widened, "Isabella Weasley! We brought you up not disrespect people like that! "She scolded.

Rolling her eyes Isabella made her way toward the door, "Maybe one day you'll find out what the Minister is really like," She spoke, existing the room with a flurry, not noticing Harry who was pressing himself to the wall as she stormed down the corridor.

 **Sorry for no Sirius and a boring chapter! I'm trying to move the story along!**

 **Tell me what you think! I'm not sure I like this chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own Harry Potter….**

"Izzy!" Linda as she ran to her friend, throwing herself at her in a huge, almost taking them both down if it wasn't for Isabella's quick reaction.

"Hey!" Isabella greeted back, smiling from ear to ear. It had been just over a month since she had seen her best friend, her eyes widening in shock, "You're pregnant!" She gasped.

Linda pulled back, a wide grin on her face as she rested her hands on her barely showing stomach, "It's a good job I haven't just gotten fat Isabella Weasley!" She joked.

"Oh please. You're a health nut. But never mind that! What!When!How!" Isabella practically garbled. Her thoughts running fast, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" Linda laughed, pulling her best friend over to a spare booth, "the when… well I'm three and a half months, I've been waiting to tell you after the first trimester, just to be sure. But you've been so busy."

"As for the how," She raised her eyebrow, "When a man and women love each other…"

Isabella cut her off with a chuckle, "Alright alright, I just got excited! This is such big news! How is Alex taking it?"

"He's ecstatic! He wanted to come today, but he got called into work… but he said I could do it anyway,"

Isabella's eyebrows furrowed, "Do what? Let you come here… didn't know Alex had a possessive streak in him…"

"No!Not that! I know it's still early, but we were wondering if you'd be the baby's godmother?" Linda asked.

Isabella froze in her seat. Bloody hell. She hadn't even known that her best friend was pregnant and now this. Don't get her wrong, she was so happy that they wanted her to do this for them. Linda and Alex had been two of her closest friends since she started Hogwarts, all of them sharing a cabin on the Hogwarts express with their other friends Jacob and Tammy. They had all been inseparable ever since.

"But..what about Tammy?" Was all she could stammer out.

Linda raised an eyebrow, "As much as I love Tammy, me and Alex discussed it and we want it to be you. You've been there for both of us whenever we needed you," Her mood turned sombre, "and if something every happened to us... well I would want you to be there for my child like you were there for us."

Isabella smiled. This was a major thing to be agreeing to and if something happened to Alex and Linda… like anything would… she'd be responsible for a child. She wasn't ready for that but hopefully it wouldn't come to it. She could just imagine how cute the baby would be with Linda's thick black hair and Alex's green eyes.

"It would be an honour!" She eventually answered, giving her best friend a hug.

Isabella's eyes slipped closes as her head started sliding down from her hand where it had been resting.

"WEASLEY! JAMESON!"

She jerked up, elbow falling of her desk with a clang, Elijah chucking from his own desk at the scene. She looked over from the direction the shout had came from to find Scrimgeour stood in the doorway to his office an intense look on his aged face.

Isabella and Elijah shared a look as they headed over to their boss, both dreading the fact that they were probably going to be sent on a wild goose chase after Sirius Black again.

"Sir?" Jameson wondered when they reached him.

"Sirius Black was spotted at Hogwarts. We are sending teams out and I want you two to go and check Hogsmeade for any sign of him" Scrimgeour lectured.

Isabella's eyes widened in time with Elijah's. The both of them stood there looking at their boss in shock.

WAIT WHAT! Hogwarts? That didn't make any sense, why would Sirius Black be at Hogwarts. Her minded flickered back to the argument she had with her parents. Surely, he wasn't there to kill Harry. But I bet that's what everyone else will think!

"GO!" He shouted causing them to scuttle off to the lifts.

"Hogwarts! My siblings are there!"

Jameson grasped her shoulders just before they reached the lifts, "Hey, I know your worried, but you need to push that aside because right now we have a job to do. Maybe we can finally catch this guy."

Isabella nodded, her face setting in determination, "Let's go."

Sighing, Isabella stretched her back. She had been walking around Hogsmeade for hours, her and Elijah having split up to cover more ground on their final sweep. Probably not the best idea in case they did actually find Black.

All she wanted to do was leave and find out if her family was okay, if they had seen Black. Sitting down on a bench for a rest. She kicked at the ground in frustration. This better not have been an idiot student playing a joke. She was honestly sick of trailing after Sirius Black.

A blur at the corner of her eyes caused her to look up. It was a dog. A bloody large dog it was almost half of her. It's fur shaggy and head tilted looking at her with weirdly intent grey eyes. She didn't realise that dogs could have grey eyes.

"Here boy," She beckoned the dog over, smiling when it followed her voice to where she was sat on the bench, "You're a big boy," She cooed, stroking a hand over the dog's head, smiling even more when he turned his head, nuzzling into her hand.

She scratched behind his ear making him whine. "Any chance you've seen Sirius Black around here, boy?" She asked. The dog just tilted his head again, another whine escaping.

"Who am I kidding, of course you haven't. I just hope he's far away from here right now. Or else he's in even more trouble than he's already in."

"Don't tell anyone I said that as well, that mean's I'd get in trouble same as Black," She paused, "I'm going crazy talking to a dog, a very cute one though," She cooed, stroking the side of the dog's neck, looking into his, rather expressive eyes before standing up.

"Well I have a job to do. "She gave the dog one last pat before walking off.

Sirius watched as Isabella walked away rubbing at her neck. Did that really just happen. He didn't know what made him approach the women when he saw her. The Weasley Auror whose house he'd broken into. He knew why she was here, he'd taken a huge risk by going into the castle.

He hadn't expected the words that had come out of her mouth. For the first time in years he let out a smile.

Maybe someone did still believe in him. Even if just a little bit.

 **So… what do you think?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! I don't own Harry Potter!**

 **I got my first tattoo yesterday! How awesome!**

Isabella threw the files off her kitchen table in anger, kicking at them as they landed on the floor. Before storming off to sit on the couch with a hand over her eyes. Ever since Sirius Black had attempted to break into the Gryffindor tower. TWICE! She had been trying even harder to figure out what exactly it was he wanted. The red-haired women knew that it wasn't to kill Harry, she just knew it.

After all the running around the country looking for him. They were now mainly stationed in Hogsmeade searching for Black which was even more tiring. At least she gets to see her siblings on their visits there and when she had to interview Ron after he saw Sirius Black at the end of his bed.

Many of the other Auror's thought that Ron had ben lying but she didn't. Not because he was her brother, even though that was one of the reasons, but because she had seen the look on his face and the truth in his voice when she had asked him about it.

 _"Ron," She soothed as she approached her brother in Dumbledore's office, Elijah pulling Perce aside to talk to him at the other side of the office. Ron was sat in a chair, his hair failing into his eyes, face paler than it normally is._

 _"Izzy! I'm sorry! I panicked! I could have stopped him! But he was just stood there, at the end of my bed! He had a knife Izzy! A knife!" He rambled on as he leant forward to grasp his sisters' arms._

 _"Hey, hey," She pulled him into a hug, Ron wasn't really one to be affectionate, but she could tell that what happened had scared her little brother, "Don't you worry about that Ronnie,"_

 _She pulled back, looking into her brothers' eyes, "You're going to have to talk to Elijah as well after he's done with Percy since I can't take your statement because we're family. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,"_

 _Ron shivered, but nodded. "I'll be fine. I think. He had a knife!" He lowered his voice so he was speaking in a whisper, his eyes wide, "Do you think he was in there to kill Harry? What if I didn't wake up,"_

 _Isabella grasped his face in her hands, her own voice lowering, "It's best not to think about the what-Ifs Ronnie, they will drive you insane, you have to think about what did happen. You woke up and you're okay and Harry is okay."_

 _Ron nodded once more," I woke up just before he slashed my curtains, Scabbers was scratching at my ears,"_

 _"I can't believe you sleep with that… thing in your bed!" She frowned._

 _"I don't" Ron protested. "He'd somehow gotten out of his cage!"_

 _Isabella laughed, ruffling Ron's hair before pulling her brother into another quick hug, laughing when this time he pushed her away. That was more like it._

Her eyes caught on a lone piece of paper that had landed near the sofa during her fit of anger against Black's file. Leaning forward to pick up the paper her eyebrows furrowed as an idea came into her head. An idea that had to do with the address written on the paper.

Jumping up, paper clenched in her hand, she made her way to her bedroom, pulling out a black jumper and black leggings, if she was going to do this she couldn't be seen, and it was dark so hopefully she would blend in with the surroundings.

Luckily, Isabella knew that they only patrolled Black's old house every hour. It had been left alone ever since his arrest all them years ago. Why she didn't know. Maybe it was because his next of kin, which was James Potter, in the lease was also dead. In fact, that probably suggested that the house actually belonged to Harry.

Isabella paused to ponder that before checking the time on the watch she had gotten from her family at Christmas. 01:50. The next patrol around the house would be in approximately ten minutes. Quickly transfiguring her hair so it was now black and less noticeable, she made her way to the alley beside her flat, so she could apparated.

Crouching in a bush next to a tree outside supposed mass murderer Sirius Black's house was not how Isabella had expected she would be spending her Friday night, well early Saturday morning. She held her breath as she watched the two Auror's walk past, who she recognised as Boyle and Gale, two middle-aged gents that she personally couldn't stand.

They weren't even checking anything! They just glanced at the house, write something in their pocket books and the made their way back to the apperation point. Isabella huffed at the lack of professionalism even if it did work in her favour this time.

She waited a good ten minuets before she headed towards the front door, her eyes widening as she now fully took notice of the house. It was a small townhouse in Kent, surprisingly in a muggle area since the Black's were notoriously known as muggle haters. Except Sirius, she thought.

The house itself was in a bad condition, having been abandoned and not maintained for around twelve years, the small front garden was overgrown with weeds and grass, growing over the pathway from the cracks in between the flags.

Isabella held her breath as she made her way to the front door, heart pounding as she took her wand from the holder at her waist.

"Alohomora!" She spoke quietly but determinedly causing the door to pop open. Luckily for her, whatever wards had been on the house; something that she heard many people, even her own parents, had done during the war, had been disabled.

There's no turning back now, Isabella stepped into the house.

Isabella sighed in frustration, a sneeze once again escaping her mouth as she made her way from Black's living room and into the next room. How a 21-year-old could have had a house this size was beyond her. There had been nothing of interest in his living room except decaying old furniture which seemed to be mocking her every time she sneezed from the dust.

Her eyes widened as she entered the next room, it was dark, but she could make out the couch in the corner, table in front of it with an old deck of exploding snap lay across it. It was only a small room, but she could see it was going to be one that mattered.

She ran her hand over the broom that was stood on a stand, obviously a well-used but treasured possession. She recognised it as one of the top of the range brooms that had been being advertised the year Bill had started Hogwarts.

She remembers convincing her mum to let her go to Diagon Alley with them as they went to get Bill a wand. The two of them had wandered off as their mum had been busy chatting in Madam Malkin's. They had found themselves outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies staring through the window open mouthed at a version of the exact broom her fingers trailed over right now.

Moving away from the broom she smiled at the Gryffindor banner that was hanging over the couch, Sirius Black obviously had some house pride. Next her eyes landed on the book shelves that were also in the room, scanning the different Quidditch books and interestingly some muggle books, a few she had heard of, others she hadn't.

The book at the end of the shelf was almost three times as big as the other causing her to pause and pull it out in curiosity, the front of it having both the Hogwarts emblem and Gryffindor's. Opening the book, she paused at the contents and the message on the inside cover. It was a photo album.

 _Happy 21st Birthday Sirius!_

 _We wouldn't know what we would do without you!_

 _From, Lily, James and baby Harry._

Isabella stood frozen, staring at the message, her heart clenching in sorrow. She couldn't help but feel like she was intruding as she searched through the book, laughing at some of the moving pictures that were of various different people but all involving Sirius.

The various moving pictures including him, and an obviously baby Harry made her even more sure that he didn't want to kill Harry. No matter how good of an actor you were, it was hard to hide the truth and emotion in your eyes. And Sirius Black's grey eyes looked at that baby with nothing but love and amusement in them.

She paused as she came across an image she wasn't expecting to see. Well it wasn't that she wasn't expecting to see it per say, it was what she wasn't expecting to see.

The moving picture was of Sirius Black making a shushing gesture towards the camera as he dropped a rat down the back of James Potter's jumper.

Her brows furrowed, a rat that looked very very familiar.

A cough behind her caused her to jump in shock and drop the photo album onto the dusty floor below her. Spinning round in shock Isabella gasped as she came face to face with Sirius Black himself.

Sirius Black.

 **I thought it was kinda funny that they both broke into each other's houses! :P Also, I know I am skipping through quite a lot of POA and I'm sorry if you wanted to see more of that but I'm trying to get to the good stuff!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

To say that Isabella, in that moment, looked like a fish out of water would have been an understatement. Her mouth was quite literally hanging open in shock, eye that wide that she could have resembled an owl Sirius thought.

It had been after his second attempt at getting to the rat, where he had scared who he presumed to be her younger brother into thinking he was going to get murdered, that he needed some help. Granted it probably wasn't the most discreet way to getting to Peter, and the knife may have been more condemning, but he had it for a reason.

Sirius had thought about going to Remus but he knew his old friend wasn't likely to believe him. But from what he had observed this young Auror may. He doesn't know why she seems to be so interested in him but maybe that could work to his advantage.

Or, that had been his mindset when he made the decision to seek her out. It had just been a coincidence that she had been here tonight, at his house ironically. Sirius had not been back here since he had escaped but he was even more desperate than he had been before, he had hoped somewhere in the house would be the evidence he needed to become a free man.

The thought had been entering his brain more and more recently, ever since he had seen Harry. Getting revenge on Peter for what he did was still number one on his list but becoming a free man who could go wherever he wanted again was a close second.

Harry. The young boy looked so much like James, he'd had to do multiple double takes when he had been watching him as Padfoot. His eyes though, nobody who knew Lily Evans could deny that Harry had his mothers' eyes.

Sirius hadn't been as close to Lily as he had been to James, hell James had been basically his brother. But ever since sixth year they had gotten closer and Sirius had taken it upon himself to protect the women as much as he could and he had failed.

Sadness filled his heart as he glanced down at the photo album Isabella had dropped in shock. He'd seen her staring at one of the pages when he had walked into the room. The book itself had been a birthday present from Lily and James, having been in hiding they had gotten him this instead of something else since they couldn't exactly go out to Diagon Alley. Sirius had laughed when James told him that.

It was the most thoughtful present he had ever gotten, and he had forgotten about it, until now.

His eyes wondered back up to Isabella, who was dressed in all black, causing him to hold back a chuckle, she looked like a robber from one of the old muggle movies he, James and Remus had been to see one summer at the muggle Cinema.

The young women hadn't moved since he had made himself known to her, but she did looke rather comical with the look on her face. As funny as she did look, Sirius couldn't help but second guess his decision of reviling himself to her. This could be it, this could be him being sent back to Azkaban.

"I didn't mean to scare you," He spoke calmly, his hands held up in front of him as if he was trying to tame a wild creature.

This was it.

As she broke out of her trance and before she could realise what she was doing, Isabella's fist had swung forward and punched Sirius Black in the face.

Sirius gasped in shock, his hands going up to his nose, which was now bleeding from the force of the punch he had just received, it had knocked him back slightly but lucky he had stayed upright. Not only did that mean he had a better chance of making a run for it but he also could save at least a little piece of his pride.

"Oh my Merlin!" She cried, her own hands going to her mouth, "I'm so sorry!"

Okay. As much as Sirius felt like he had picked the right person to reveal himself to, he wasn't expecting to be punched…. And then to get an apology for said punch.

Isabella watched as Sirius, who was slightly hunched over, straightened himself up, still trying to stop his bloody nose from running down his chin, she took this moment to actually take him in.

He looked like he did in all the wanted posters she had been constantly seeing these past months but at the same time he looked completely different. His black hair fell in greasy, tangled waves to his shoulder, face so gaunt he almost looked like a skeleton. It was more than obvious that the years hadn't been kind to him by the lines on his face, although it didn't stop him from still being a form of ruggedly handsome.

She was actually stood in front of Sirius Black, in his house! Isabella was so going to get fired! And probably thrown in to Azkaban as well! Just because she was considering helping a supposed mass murderer she didn't even know!

Black was wearing the standard Azkaban jumpsuit, a worn one that gaped open around his chest. She winced at the sight of his ribs, clear and sticking out through his stretched skin, she tried not to linger at the thought as he eyes got caught on the maze of tattoos that covered his chest. There were many of them, some that were so intricate that she wanted to pause time so she could lean closer and take a better look at them.

"It's alright," Sirius spoke gruffly, shaking her out of her… admiration for his tattoo's. Luckily, he had yet to look up and notice that she had been staring at his chest for the past… she didn't even know how long it had been.

The severity of the situation caught up with Isabella as her eyes widened once again, her brain running a mile a minute, as well as her mouth. "Wait… what? What are you doing here? You can't be here! You're going to get caught! And then you'll go back to Azkaban, you can't go back to Azkaban!"

Sirius had been watching in amusement at her little rant until she had said he couldn't go back to Azkaban. "What do you mean, I can't go back to Azkaban? I am a mass murderer in case you missed it." He tested.

"No you're not," She had spoken quietly after a pause, staring up at him, eyes wide with truth.

"I'm not," He admitted, "But how do you know I'm not?"

Isabella through her arms up in frustration "I don't know! I just do! Nothing adds up, especially this!"

She leant down to pick up the fallen photo album before shoving it into his chest, forcing a grunt out of Sirius. She gestured down to the picture of Sirius putting Peter down the back of James' jumper.

"You're going to think I'm insane, but I swear this is my brothers' rat, I could recognise that ugly face anywhere," She paused, "You know the brother whose bed you stood at the end of with a knife!" Her voice rose this time.

"I didn't want to scare the boy!" Sirius spoke truthfully, "And I can explain everything…. That is your brothers' rat."

"How is that even possible?"

Sirius paused. He had already risked everything, so what was a little more information going to harm. Other than him getting the kiss which he probably going to get anyway. He sighed, meeting Isabella's eyes before transforming into Padfoot.

"Well…shit!"

 **I decided to cut it off here otherwise it would have been another few days until another update and I didn't want to do that to you guys!**

 **Let me know what you think! And what you want to see!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own Harry Potter! And yay we almost at 60 reviews! Sorry for slow update, been an insane week!**

Isabella stood staring at the big dog in front of her, her mind flashing back to seeing this very dog in Hogsmeade. Her eyes widening when she realised this is why they couldn't find him, after all this time why he had continued to be free undetected. How he had escaped Azkaban in the first place.

She groaned, sinking down onto the couch in the room, dust flying up around her and settling on her clothes, "I feel like an idiot,"

Sirius did not turn back as he padded forward, until he was sat in front of her knees, his head tilted inquiringly.

"I mean- I practically asked you had you seen yourself," She groaned once again, sinking into the couch.

Padfoot shook his head before turning back into Sirius, "That's what your thinking about right now?" He grumbled, half of him amazed that the women in front of him was taking it all so well, admirably maybe not sanely. The other half annoyed that she didn't seem to be taking it seriously.

"I-I'm sorry," Isabella spoke, standing back up and straightening her jumper at the same time, "You're right, that isn't the thing to be focusing on but it's a lot to digest. I know I'm an auror and we are taught to expect the unexpected but… this is like completely unexpected."

Sirius' eyebrows raised as she continued on.

"Who would have thought that I would run into Sirius Black! At his house! A place that im not supposed to bloody be at and then BAM he turns into a dog, obviously an unregistered animagus, and somehow this all links to my brother's pet rat-OH!"

Sirius nodded as Isabella seemed to calm down slightly from her hysterics, not that he could really blame her, this was very unreal. Who would have thought he would have chanced it and be successful in finding an Auror that didn't want to cart him straight of back to Azkaban? There was something about her, but he just didn't know what.

"You with me now?" He questioned at the red head who was stood staring at him, her eyes wide, an image he was becoming familiar with in the past twenty minutes. He had to admit she was very young.

"I-think I have a question that will sound completely insane, but I have to ask…" She waited for him to nod before she continued," The rat…. He's also an Animagus?"

"Holy Shit!"

Was all Isabella could say once Sirius had finished telling her about Peter Pettigrew, a rat who had been hiding with her family for so many years. Using them as protection, they had accidently been helping a mass murderer hide for the law. The law that she was a part of now.

Not only had he been a mass murderer, he had been a Death Eater, the one who had given up James and Lily Potter. The person who was responsible for Harry being orphaned, who had condemned an innocent man to years in Azkaban. Her blood boiled at the thought of it all.

Honestly, she probably wouldn't have believed Sirius if she hadn't seen the things she had seen, if she hadn't been around the rat with a missing finger for the past however many years.

All the evidence added up, the missing limb, them not being able to find anything of Peter Pettigrew other than that said limb, the photos she had found in Sirius' house with him putting that same rat down the back of James Potter's jumper.

All this time, the feeling that something wasn't quite right, the niggling feeling that had been keeping her awake. It was all real. He was innocent.

Sirius cleared his throat, trying to get Isabella's attention, the young women had been staring at her shoes, eyes hard ever since he had finished telling her about the traitorous little rat. And she believed it about it, she trusted that he was telling the truth. It was all too hard to believe after all these years of bad luck.

"Sorry it's just… what are we going to do?" Isabella wondered, frown upon her youthful face.

He froze, "We?"

"I can't just let an innocent man go back to Azkaban! Even if I knew something was wrong before now I know the truth I can't just let it go. Especially since that… rat has been using my family for years!"

"I can't let you do this"

"You aren't letting me do anything, Black. I'm a grown woman I make my own decisions, plus you relived yourself to me, why would you do that if you didn't need my help?"

"I-your right,"

Isabella nodded, "Of course I was, what were you going to do anyway? Tie me to a chair and leave me here for the other Auror's to find? This isn't a muggle movie!"

"You're the one that punched me! You're a Witch, you could have hexed me!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I know! I panicked." She whined, covering her face with her hands.

Sirius held back a chuckle, something that he had been doing frequently in their conversation, at the women in front of him, "And you're an Auror!"

Isabella straightened up in indignation, "Yeah! And a bloody good one, so you better watch it Sirius Black before I punch you, then hex you and leave you here for the other Auror's to find!"

This time Sirius allowed the chuckle to escape. "And what? I accidentally knocked myself out? Like it or not, we're in this together now," His voice turned serious.

Isabella swallowed and nodded, they were. After learning what she just had, there was no way she could let him go back to Azkaban or worse get the kiss. They had to be successful in catching the rat, who by the way, she had always hated! They had to be.

"You can walk away right now, and we can pretend this whole night didn't happen," Sirius offered, seeing the turmoil crossing her face, "There is a lot at stake here, you could end up in Azkaban!"

Isabella sighed, grasping onto the side of Sirius' jumpsuit as she looked him in the eye, "I know. But nobody takes advantage of my family and that bloody rat has been doing it for too long, plus Harry is as good as family as well and he needs to know the truth, the actual truth," She paused.

"I also treat people for what they are, and you Sirius Black, are innocent."

Sirius stepped forward, his hands coming to rest on Isabella's shoulders as he looked her in the eyes, "Thank you," He spoke sincerely, trying to ignore the tears welling up in his eyes.

 **So?**


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

Isabella grasped at the edge of the sink as she struggled to catch her breath. The severity of what just happened only hitting her when she got back to her flat and Sirius had gone back to Hogwarts in an attempt to catch or well kill the rat Peter Pettigrew and keep an eye on who she now knew to be his godson Harry Potter.

She was insane that's what she was. She knew that all the evidence she had collected suggested that Sirius' story was actually true, but she shouldn't have let herself to be in the situation that Sirius Black was able to explain! If this all went wrong, then she was going to lose her job. Not only that, she would probably go to Azkaban for helping a supposed mass murderer evade the authorities.

Sirius hadn't let her get him some new clothes or food, he even refused to come back to her flat to get cleaned up, but she supposes it makes sense since it would look even more suspicious if he was captured well groomed with new clothes when everyone was on the lookout for him, even the muggles.

He was hellbent on going back to Hogwarts and killing Peter Pettigrew, something she had tried to talk him out of as he would be going back to Azkaban if he did that, how else would he prove himself to be innocent?

If she was being honest with herself, Isabella felt disappointed that she didn't really have anything to do right now. After finding out this life changing secret that she had already caught on to on her own in a way, now all she could do was sit and wait for the summer and think of strategies that were probably never going to be used.

She had warned Sirius that he was going to get himself caught if he carried on attempting to get into the castle and that he should just wait the months until the end of the school year when she could just walk into the Burrow and get the rat for herself. Sirius didn't listen to her though, typical man.

Now that she thought about it, that plan wouldn't have worked. How would she explain how she knew that rat was Peter Pettigrew? Even with all the evidence she had gathered, some of it illegally, none of it explicitly states that Pettigrew was an illegal Animagus.

And once again she would end up in Azkaban for helping a murderer.

With a sigh Isabella moved away from the sink and made her way into her bedroom, throwing herself down onto her bed before screaming into her pillow in frustration.

What was she going to do? No, what were they going to do?

Isabella jumped as a soft yapping sound came from behind where she had been stood in Hogsmeade, which was now her usual post. Turning quickly, her red hair that, was down today, flying out as she spotted Sirius Black in the form of Padfoot; which she had been informed was his school days nickname.

"What are you doing here!" She hissed quietly before straightening and giving the dog a pat on the head, it was look unusual if someone saw her talking and ranting at a dog, they would think she'd gone barmy. Maybe she has.

"You're going to get yourself caught!" She spoke again but this time out of the corner of her mouth causing Padfoot to roll his eyes which looked rather strange on a dog. He tilted his head at the line of trees behind her before trotting off and disappearing behind them.

Isabella took a quick look around to see if anyone was watching and if one of the four other Aurour's stationed in Hogsmeade for the time being, including Elijah were in the close vicinity. Happy that they weren't Isabella turned with a grumble and trudged her way into the trees.

"Thank you," A voice spoke causing her to this time, jump in shock as she whirled around.

"Bloody hell!" She cursed.

Sirius couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the red heads reaction, "Why is it that I keep managing to scare you, aren't you supposed to be an unflinching Aurour?"

"Do you want me to punch you again?" Isabella growled as she took in his appearance.

He looked even worse than when she had seen him in his house a few weeks ago, if that was even possible. His face was thinner, and his grey eyes seemed to be darker than she had ever seen them, even in the photographs.

It was quite obvious that he had been given more food in Azkaban than he had been getting out here. Which was saying something since they treated the prisoners horribly in Azkaban, not that they didn't deserve it. Well all of the except Sirius Black didn't deserve it.

"Are you okay?" She questioned before she could stop the words from escaping her mouth.

Sirius paused and looked at her. It had been a long time since anybody had asked after him welfare. He wasn't doing well at all, he knew he couldn't last much longer going on like this even if he had to. His skin was starting to feel heavy and his transformations into Padfoot were starting to take more of a toll than they usually would.

"I'm okay," Was all he replied.

Isabella stared at him, stubborn man, as she rooted through the pocket of her Auror robes and pulled out two crumpled breakfast bars and a packet of crisp that looked like they had seen better days.

"Here, "She passed them to him, taking a step back in refusal when he attempted to hand them back, "I had a massive breakfast, don't really need to eat my dinner, don't want to be getting fat," She joked.

Sirius nodded in thanks as he pocketed the food before getting on what he approached her for. H had seen her almost daily in the past few weeks but had yet to approach her again, but he was getting almost frantic with desperation.

"Have you been able to come up with any more suggestions about getting the rat?"

Isabella shook her head with a frown, "I'm afraid not,"

Sirius nodded once more before stepping closer to her, "Then I must do it soon," He spoke quietly, giving her a small sad smile before transforming into Padfoot and running off before she could even register what he had said.

"Wait!" She called after him, but it was no use he was gone and even if he did hear her he wasn't coming back.

"Bloody Hell!" She cursed, kicking at the ground.

Isabella lent against the rock with a tired sigh as she attempted to stretch her aching muscles. It had been another few weeks since her and Sirius' encounter in the woods and she hadn't seen him since.

She was worried. He was going to get himself killed even if that was by a Dementor or starving himself it was still going to happen. He was so sure now about killing the rat that he couldn't let it go any other way.

She couldn't let that happen to him, she just couldn't. Especially after all he had been through.

Isabella jerked out of her thoughts when she heard the muffled sounds of shouting from behind her. Turning around her eyes scanned the vicinity before they landed on the source of the shouting.

The Shrieking Shack.

 **DUN DUN DUNNNNN… think we all know what happens next, right?**


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

Isabella's grip tightened on her want as the floorboards under her feet creaked eerily as she crept her way forward. Being in the Shrieking Shack was not what she wanted to be doing with her day, the house had always creeped the hell out of her.

"This is what you're trained for," She muttered quietly over and over to herself. Kicking herself for not calling for back up when she could have as the muffled voices in the room at the end of the corridor got louder and louder.

It was more than likely that it was a bunch of students messing around, but she had to check with all that had been going on, she couldn't risk her job more than she already had in the past months. It was time she did something.

Wincing when a floorboard made a particularly loud creak, which luckily went unnoticed by the occupants of the as the voices continued. She paused, a hand on the old rusted handle of the door, trying to listen to the conversation to gather an idea of what she was getting herself into.

The scene that greeted her when she swung the door open and entered the room with her chin and want help high caused her steps to falter slightly.

First her eyes landed on Sirius Black who had a forming back eye and blood running from his nose, she couldn't help but left a tinge of amusement run through her at the thought that he had been attacked once again in a similar way that she had attacked him all those weeks ago.

There was another man stood next to Sirius, also haggard looking, although it was nothing compared to Sirius, with grey streaked brown hair and scars. Her eyes landed on Snape who was knocked out against the wall, she could deal with that later she thought as she took in the children in the room.

Ron was there, her little brother, it wasn't surprising when she spotted Harry and Hermione there as well. The trio was almost always together. And he was hurt.

It seemed like time had slowed down but in reality, it had only been seconds before her brother was calling out for her.

"Izzy! Help us!" Ron screamed, terror in his voice.

"Ronnie!" She rushed forward to her brother side, although she didn't lift her wand from the two men in the room, she knew Sirius was innocent but she he was desperate, and she didn't know the other man.

Everyone else in the room had just been stood staring at the Auror, shocked by her sudden appearance whilst Hermione was thankful that they may go out of this situation now.

"He's trying to say that Scabbers is a man called Peter Pettigrew! An Animagus and that he escaped Azkaban just to get his hands on him! Well, there are millions of rats, how's he supposed to know when he's been locked up in Azkaban!" Ron wailed causing Isabella to pause, she needed to be carful on what she said as an idea popped into her head.

If they all got out of this with no more injuries, maybe she could use her memory of the incident, as well as everyone else's to prove Sirius' innocence if it all went according to plan.

"What the bloody hell is going on here!" She spoke tersely, a frown on her face as she inched forward, placing herself between Ron and the adults.

The man with the scars ignored her as he turned to Sirius and questioning how he did know, Isabella felt like she was having an outer body experience as the conversation carried on around her. She only spoke a few times, trying to calmly figure out what was going on even though she had a pretty good idea she knew. Sirius had gone after the rat.

She listened once again as she heard Sirius, for the second time, explain how Pettigrew had done it and decided them all, a story that she knew would soon be proved as soon as Sirius got his hands on the rat.

Isabella felt her heart break as Harry shouted at Sirius, accusing him and Sirius explaining how he did as good as kill them as he convinced them to switch secret keepers. Her heart pounded in regret, he couldn't have known.

Finally, Ron held out the rat, Isabella quickly griped it from her brother, her hands tightening around the small creature in order to make sure he didn't escape as she passed it to the scarred man, who she now vaguely recognised from pictures as being Remus Lupin. Her want still held unwavering to keep up the pretence.

"Ready Sirius?" Lupin spoke.

"Wait!" She interjected, "If this is all true, you can't kill him, I have to take him into custody! "The older men ignored her as they spoke and cast the spell to transform the rat.

Isabella couldn't help but take a few steps back in shock as the rat turned into a man right before her eyes. She knew it was true but hearing it and seeing it were two different things. Her, Harry and Hermione stared in shock as Ron yelped and held onto his older sisters' side for support.

The first thing she noticed about Peter Pettigrew was that she was taller than him and that he was an ugly man. Obviously in both looks and personality.

She stood there, clutching Ron's hand as she watched the rat, Sirius, Lupin and Harry argue about him being killed and what had happened. Waiting for the right time to interject. When he started trying to gravel to Ron and Hermione she knew it was time.

"You stay away from my brother rat!" She pushed him away, "And for that matter, you stay away from my whole family, leeching off us for years. I won't have it and I won't rest until I see you rotting in Azkaban and that innocent man," She paused to gesture at Sirius who was stood, eyes wide.

"Walks free. And you know why," She stepped towards the rat, "People like you don't deserve pity or forgiveness," She snarled.

Peter just stuttered a few times before realising he wasn't going to get anywhere with Ron as he turned to plead with Harry instead. She could let Sirius handle that.

"Bloody hell Izzy," She heard Ron speak from behind her causing her to turn to find him grinning at her despite the pain in his eyes, "Didn't know you could be like that,"

"Well I am an Auror," She quipped before turning back to the conversation panning out between the others in the room, throwing Hermione a reassuring wink in the process.

She winced as she heard them threaten to kill the rat if he tried to escape by transforming, that wouldn't look good.

Isabella grumbled as she held onto the Rat's arm, her want pointed continuously at him as she walked down the stone corridor toward Dumbldore's office, she had left Ron with Lupin and Sirius, knowing they would get him to the hospital wing. She should have really brought Sirius with her, but her attention should be more focused on the actual mass murderer rather than the supposed one.

Her head snapped to the side as Peter gave a maniacal laugh, a smirk covering his pudgy face as he started to transform right before her eyes. There was no one there that would kill him if he transformed.

"Fuck!" She cursed after she dove after him.

Her body hit the floor with a thud, chin smashing against the stone as it bounced off, that was going to leave a mark, her arm outstretched as she just managed to grasp the end of the rat's tail in her hand.

"Oh no you don't!" She hissed as she gripped the rat tighter as she sat up and held him up to her face, "I wasn't a keeper for nothing!"

"Are you quite alright Miss Weasley?" A voice full of amusement spoke. She must look insane sitting on the floor talking to a bloody rat.

"Professor Dumbledore!" She gasped as she looked up to find him staring down at her, "I was just coming to find you!"

She jumped up with a groan, deciding to just Stupefy the rat in her hands as he wouldn't stop biting and scratching at her hands, sighing in relief when he went limp.

"And what did that poor rat do to you?"

"Poor rat? This bastard it Peter Pettigrew, Sir!" She spoke heatedly, knowing that she would be kicking herself later for using that kind of language around her old headmaster.

"I see," If Dumbledore knew the significance of her outburst he didn't let on, "Follow me,"

"Right!" Scrimgeour bellowed once he had lifted his head out of the Pensive holding her memory, "Jameson, go and collect the memories of the others, Dawlish, get the minister."

There was a flurry of activity as the two left, leaving Isabella, Scrimgeour, and Dumbledore alone in the office as they waited for the minister to arrive.

"Weasley," Scrimgeour spoke after a few minutes of awkward silence, "You did well today,"

Isabella felt guilty of the praise from her normally straight-faced boss, "I was just in the right place at the right time Sir,"

"Nevertheless, you've saved a man from getting the dementors kiss and aided the capture of a man who has made a mockery out of us!"

Isabella opened her mouth to reply but got cut of when the Minister came bustling out of the fire place, a scowl on his face, Dawlish falling out from behind him.

"I think you better sit-down Minister,"

Isabella walked quickly down the hallway to the hospital wing where she knew Sirius to be, Kingsley Shacklebolt having been tasked with watching him as soon as Scrimgeour had arrived and learnt the truth.

She couldn't help but let a grin escape as she walked up toward the man in question, flattening it as she put on a professional tone.

"Mr Black, please may I have a word," She gestured to the office that was located in the room, Sirius following her in looking nervous.

"We did it Sirius!" She breathed as soon as the door shut behind him.

Sirius froze in shock, his eyes on the younger women in front of him who was grinning, her eyes twinkling.

"I-i-I'm free?" He stuttered, tears coming to his eyes.

Isabella nodded as she stepped forward, "Yes, you will need to do an interview under Veritaserum but right now that's a formality, they have all the evidence they need with the kids and my memories as well as the rat himself!"

"I-!" Sirius couldn't speak as he stepped forward, placing his cold shaking hands on either side of Isabella's face.

"Thank you, thank you so much," He spoke gruffly, looking into her eyes, which were also shinning with tears before he pulled her into a tight hug. One she wasn't sure he should be doing since she could practically feel his ribs.

"What happened to your face?" Sirius couldn't help but question as he pulled back. Not after a few minuets of hugging, both of them relived that it was all going to be over, Sirius especially. "Did someone punch you?"

Isabella groaned as she pulled away completely, her hands coming up to cover her face, "You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"No," Sirius smiled.

One of his only real smiles in years. He was finally free. He could be with Harry and they could be a family. If only it was that easy.

 **So, this is my longest chapter yet and I'm pretty sure I don't like it hahah. I didn't really want to change much in the scene in the Shack as it was so important for Harry's development for It to happen the way it did.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it and want to see some more.**


	15. Chapter 15

**I don't own Harry Potter! Guys! I'm one follow off 100 followers of this story and almost at 80 review?! WHAT! That's insane! Love you guys and thanks for all the support it means a lot!**

Scrimgeour nodded as he closed his notebook, sharing a look with, who Sirius now realised was Kingsley Shacklebolt, a wizard who had been a few years above him in Hogwarts, he had been a nice fellow.

"After a quick chat with the Minister, you are free too go Mr Black, all the evidence lines up in favor of your innocence," The Head Auror spoke gruffly, clearly put out by the mistake his office had made in the past, at least he hadn't been in charge then.

"Shacklebolt will be back in a few hours with some paperwork you will need to sign, your wand and the keys to your house but as of right now… you are a free man," Scrimgeour let out a terse smile as he whispered something into Kingsley's ear before standing and exiting the classroom that had been cleared and used for his interview.

Sirius couldn't help but sink back into his chair, one hand coming up to cover his gaunt face the other tangling in his hair as he pulled slightly, as if he was trying to wake himself up from a nightmare or in this case a dream.

Twelve years he had spent in that bloody place. Rotting away. All the good memories and any happiness he had left, sucked away and leaving him in crippling depression, the whole world thinking he was a no-good mass murdering traitor.

It was over. He was finally free. He couldn't stop the tears from escaping his eyes, luckily being caught between he cheeks and hand, hiding them from the view of the lone Auror still in the room who was giving him as much privacy as possible.

His arms trembled as the days events started to catch up with him and the Adrenalin started to fade. His fight with Moony ingrained in his bones as he shifted uncomfortable in his seat. He knew that taking his friend on wasn't a good idea with the condition he was in, but he needed to get him away from the children, not just for his sake but for Remus' as well.

"Black?" Shacklebolt questioned after a few minutes, "the Minister will be arriving soon," He warned.

Sirius nodded his thanks, not wanting the Minister to see him in the state he was in now. Giving his eyes a quick look, he sat up straighter in his chair just as the Minister walked in with a flurry.

"Black!" He practically boomed with a smile causing Sirius to hold back a groan. Slimy git. Sirius nodded, this time in greeting, as Fudge came to sit in the seat Scrimgeour had only recently vacated.

It wasn't that he had much reason to hate the Fudge, he hadn't been Minister when James and Lily died, when he had been thrown in Azkaban without a trial but from what he had seen of the guy in Azkaban and the way he acted there, he just rubbed him the wrong way.

"It seems like we owe you an apology, Mr Black," Fudge continued rather nervously, his smile fading into a grimace as he wrung his hands together.

"Looks that way," Sirius spoke sarcastically, his intense grey eyes staring the Minister down.

Fudge's cheeks bunched up in the most unattractive way, "I don't know what to say,"

"Just get on with it, Fudge. I've been in Azkaban for twelve years, wrongfully accused of mass murder, and then on the run for almost a year…. Surprisingly, I actually have better things I could be doing right now like… I don't know, eating, showering, sleeping and oh, maybe having a quick shag?"

Sirius couldn't help but let the words escape his mouth, he knew he was being course but his anger at the situation was starting to overwhelm his relief at being free as his body continued to tremble with exhaustion, he also really wanted to see Harry.

"Oh!-ah," Fudge chuckled nervously, a discreetly smirking Kingsley stood diligently beside him, "I just wanted to extend my official and personal apologies as well as offer my gratitude for your aid in capturing the real culprit, a-ah-Pete Peligre?"

Sirius' nostrils flared as he sat up straighter, almost on the edge of his chair, "It's Peter Pettigrew, and you would have fucking known about it… I don't know… say thirteen year's ago if I hadn't been chucked in the forsaken place without a bloody trial!" He shouted.

"Mr Black, you need to calm down," Fudge's eyes flicked to Shacklebolt in apprehension, "I know you are angry but,"

"ANGRY!" Sirius stood up with his outburst, "Angry isn't the word for it, I'm livid! My life was ruined because of the bloody Ministry and I'm not going to forget that! Maybe I could forgive the Auror department because they actually decided to help me!"

Sirius had to pause before he impulsively outed Isabella Weasley for believing him before there was any real evidence as he took a deep breath and sat back down.

"This is on your ministry, Fudge. I don't plan to forget that." He finished calmly.

Fudge nodded tersely as he stood up, "Your name will be cleared in the morning papers," He spoke quickly striding to the door, "If you need anything, let my office know," He finished insincerely before leaving.

Sirius sighed, his head falling back against the chair as his eyes closed, "What a wanker,"

Sirius walked into the hospital wing with a wobble, he was exhausted, it had to be around three am. After the minister had left he had headed up to Dumbledore's office to have a long chat, and some tea and lemon drops. His mouth still lingered with the taste.

Glancing out of the window, he sighed at the sight of the moon still high in the sky before making a beeline over to the only occupant of the hospital wing who was apparently still awake.

"Sirius!" Harry whisper-shouted as he tried not to wake a slumbering Ron in the bed beside him, "You're back!" He had been made to stay in the hospital wing overnight, something about trauma and the minor injuries the Whomping Willow had caused him and Hermione.

Sirius lifted his arms up to either side of him, as if presenting himself with a grin, "Guess who's a free man."

Harry gasped, shucking the scratchy sheets of his legs, he made his way over to Sirius, gathering him in a tight hug that caused Sirius to wince but luckily Harry couldn't see that.

He finally had some family, someone who wanted to be around him and not shove him in a dingy room and try to forget he even existed unless they needed him for something. And even if he didn't know Sirius and he had spent the whole time since learning who he was thinking he betrayed his parents, he was still his godfather.

"It may take me a while to get back on my feet, but I was wondering…" Sirius coughed unsure as Harry pulled back, "If you would allow me to talk to Dumbledore about you staying with me once the school year has ended,"

Sirius held his breath. This was Harry, his godson, the only piece of James and the family he no long had, left. But it wasn't just that, Harry was his family now and he wanted to prove that, for James, Lily and especially for Harry.

Harry paused, his green eyes wide behind the lenses of his glasses, "I-I'd love that,"

Sirius' body practically wilted in relief, "I'm glad," He spoke before his body became dead weight and he pitched forward into Harry who wasn't strong enough to hold his weight even though he felt like just skin and bones to the teenager.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Harry shouted, not caring if he woke Ron and Hermione.

Sirius groaned as he came too, his whole-body aching.

"Ah Mr Black, You're awake." The curtains pulled around his bed made a swishing noise of Pomfrey walked in. How she always knew when somebody had woken was beyond him.

"Poppy? Is that you, or an angel?" He joked gruffly with a small smile.

"Still up to your old tricks then I see?" The matron let out a smile towards the ex-student who she remembered so well. She had been shocked beyond belief when Dumbledore had told the staff what happened that night. She had always thought of Sirius as being very loyal, and she was right.

Sirius smirked, "Only for you," He managed before letting out a groan he could no longer hold in.

"Yes," Poppy spoke, "You are going to be in a lot of pain, and not only are you malnourished, you are exhausted." She continued as she set out the potions on the table that he needed to drink.

Sirius sighed in relief when Pomfrey handed him the teeth cleaning potion, maybe the horrid taste in his mouth and the feel of his unwashed teeth would finally leave. He winced as he took each potion, the next more disgusting than the last.

"How long was I out?" He wondered after he drunk the last potion.

"48 hours, I alerted the Aurors that you were awake, somebody should be here soon with your belongings." The matron spoke.

"I already am," A soft voice spoke causing Sirius' eyes to jump to the gap in the curtain where the red headed beauty that was Isabella Weasley stood, a bag hanging off her side.

"Ah, Auror Weasley," Poppy greeted, "I'll leave you two to business,"

Sirius watched as Isabella stepped aside to let the matron passed before she made her way back into the curtains, closing them shut beside her.

"Hey," She spoke softly, sitting on the chair that was situated next to his bed. "How are you?"

Sirius shrugged with a wince, "Not too great, but at the same time …. I'm good."

"That's understandable," Isabella spoke, hesitating slightly before she reached out and placed her hand on top of his that had been lying next to him on the bed, she gave it a quick squeeze but didn't pull away as Sirius turned his had so he could squeeze back.

The amount of gratitude and respect he felt for the young woman in front of him was insane. He owed her everything, he owed her his freedom.

"I have your wand in my bag with the papers you need to sign in order to claim it back, the water and power had been turned back on at your house for when you are ready to go back but I assume you will be in here a couple more days at the least…"

Isabella got cut off my Sirius shaking his head, "No, I want to go home today,"

Isabella paused as she took in the man in front of her, he still didn't look rested and healed enough to be left on his own in a house even if he did look marginally better, one of the first things she had noticed when he spoke was that his teeth was now a pearly white.

"Sirius…" She squeezed his hand once again, "I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Please Isabella, take me home," He practically begged.

The sat there for minuets, just staring at each other. For Isabella it felt like his grey eyes were staring pleadingly in her soul. She didn't know why he wanted to go back to his house full of memories so much but she couldn't deny him what he wanted, not after what he had been through so she relented.

"Okay, I'll take you home."

 **Okay so I'd just like to apologise about this chapter because there wasn't much Izzy but don't worry, there will be lots of her next chapter. This was more a filler about Sirius and tying up loose ends.**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

 **Hey Guys, sorry it has been awhile. My laptop started to give in on me by freezing every twenty seconds… literally. So, I had to wait to get a new laptop which thankfully was an early Christmas present from my mum and dad so I didn't have to pay for it aha.**

 **Shorter chapter whilst I get used to the new keyboard but I just wanted to get something out for you!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

Isabella placed a hand on Sirius' back once they reached the door to his house. The older man had faltered and Izzy though he was going to collapse on his porch but luckily, he took a shuddering breath and placed the keys she'd given him in the hospital in the lock and stepped into the house.

The house seemed to have a different air to it than when they had both been here them few months ago. Maybe it was because they both were allowed to be there and weren't sneaking round like criminals. Even if Sirius had been a supposed criminal at the time.

"It seems different now that I'm not breaking in," She commented as they stopped in the hallway, unable to help herself.

Sirius let out a chuckle as he leant against the wall, peeling wallpaper coming off in flakes around him, "I guess It is nice to legally be allowed to be here,"

"Ah shit," She cursed, "I never apologised for that,"

"It's okay. I broke into your flat too, "Sirius spoke casually, a small smirk appearing on his exhausted face.

Isabella could practically feel her mouth drop open in pure shock, like something out of a muggle cartoon show she'd seen during a past summer she had spent two weeks at her muggleborn friend's house. Whatever she had expected him to say to her apology, it wasn't that.

"W-what?"She stuttered out.

Sirius nodded, "I recognised you as a Weasley and followed you home. Then I waited until you had left and used your spare key to get in… you really need to move that by the way. Any old prison escapee could break in," He winked causing Isabella's cheeks to slush. Whether it was from the wink or the insinuations she didn't know, and in a way, she didn't want to.

"I can't believe you broke into my flat," She muttered, kicking slightly at the dusty floor.

"It's a two-way street," Sirius spoke as they shared a laugh, drawing off to stare at each other in silence for a few seconds before Sirius cleared his throat.

"I don't know how I could ever repay you for what you have done for me," He added softly.

Isabella stepped forward, clasping her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "You owe me nothing Sirius Black, it is enough for me, just knowing that an innocent man is no longer paying the price for someone else's cowardice,"

"I hate that bloody rat," Sirius grumbled as his eyes landed on the fading bruise on her chin. Madame Pomphrey had obviously been working her magic.

"Me too," Izzy agreed, "But he's going to get what's coming for him,"

They fell into silence again as Sirius scanned the hallway, it was a mess. "Looks like I'm going to be busy with the house, getting new clothes," He pulled on the ends of his tangled mess of hair, "a haircut,"

Isabella hesitated, they were still stood close, close enough so that she could see details that she would have missed if she was stood a few steps backwards. Like how exhausted and fragile he actually was.

"I could help you with all that?"

Sirius shook his head, "I couldn't ask you to do that for me,"

Izzy sighed but a small smile lit up her face, "You're not asking, I'm offering. Anyway, I need to get back to work but I can swing back round tomorrow morning and we can get started, "Her smile grew before a serious expression crossed her face.

She stepped forward and slowly wrapped her arms around his fragile waist as she hugged him, wincing at the feel of skin and bone beneath her hands. Pulling away she moved her body so that her face was hovering next to his and after a moment of hesitation she leant forward and pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"You're going to be okay," Isabella spoke softly once she had pulled away. Giving a quick smile before she walked towards the door, missing the expression on his face.

Sirius let out a deep breath at the feeling of his mattress under his back. After having to basically wrestle his wand and remembering the cleaning charm so that his covers were no longer dust filled and we almost as good as new.

He was all on his own. He was free but Lily and James were still dead, Peter was still a traitor. He was free, but was it all worth it?

Tears started to leak from his eyes as he started to cry. He cried for Lily and James, for Remus being alone all these years, he cried for himself. He just let himself cry.


	17. Chapter 17

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

 **Sorry about the long wait! Uni has been kicking my but this year and I also now have a part time job! Anyway, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!**

Sirius groaned as his muscles protested, only managing a slow walk as he made his way to his front door. Luckily, he had been downstairs when the knock came otherwise by the time he got to the door whoever it was would have left. He knew it wasn't Isabella as he knew she had a morning shift and it was only ten am.

His eyes widened in surprise as the door swung open revealing Remus stood there, his robes hanging with water from the rain, he had large bags under his tired eyes, bags that Sirius supposed matched his own exhausted appearance.

"Moony," He greeted casually, stepping aside to let his old friend into his house.

Remus nodded, muttering a quick spell to dry his wet shoes before stepping into the house, taking in his surroundings, "It hasn't changed," He commented lightly.

"That's because literally nothing has changed since you were last here Moony, well other than a bit of decaying," Sirius responded with a small smirk, making his way to the room he had caught Isabella in when she broke into the house.

It was the only room, other than his bedroom, that he had started to clean up, more for the sentimental value of the room than anything else.

"How are you feeling?" Remus questioned as they settle down onto the couch.

There was a pause as Sirius rubbed at his beard, unsure how to answer his long-time friend. He had never really been one to be emotional, except a few times, but those years in Azkaban had him feeling nothing like his old self.

"I gotta say Moony, I'm not really sure," He confessed with a sigh.

"That's to be expected Sirius, it would be surprising if you were fine I just… feel like this is my fault," Remus admitted with a frown.

Sirius turned around with a frown, "Fuck Remus, in what way is any of this your fault, you didn't loose a nose or turn into a traitorous rat in these past years did you?"

Remus let out a small laugh before he could help himself, "No..."

"Then none of this is your fault," Sirius cut him off.

"I lost my faith in you and for that I'm sorry,"

Sirius moved from his place on the couch, going over to the window in the room to glance out at the rainy scenery, "I don't blame you Moony, all the evidence pointed to me and hell, you thought I was the secret keeper, we let you continue to think that. We should have had more faith in you, not the other way around," He conceded.

It had been something that had kept him up last night, despite all the memories and the hatred pulsing through him, the though of having kept Remus out of the loop of what was going on, the guilt of having done that was eating at him. They had trusted the wrong person and look where that had got them, either dead or in prison.

"I understand why you didn't," Remus spoke, jolting him out of his thoughts.

"And I understand why you didn't trust me so we can just leave it in the past… because that's exactly what it is, the past. Anyway, I'm a free man now and we have to focus on what's the most important, Harry."

Remus nodded in agreement, "He's so much like James but at the same time he's so much like Lily."

"Form what I have seen, he seems like a wonderful boy,"

"I am curious though," Remus started, "How it is that you came to be free of your charges,"

"Ah yes," Sirius chuckled, "That's all thanks to Isabella Weasley, determined little thing she is,"

Remus' eyebrows furrowed, "The Auror, correct? I'm assuming she is some kind of relation to Harry's friend Ronald Weasley?"

"Yes, his sister, for some reason she took interest in my case and just wouldn't let it go, I still don't know the whole story but I owe her my freedom, my life. If it wasn't for her, I would have killed the bloody rat months ago, but she found a way to free me and catch the traitorous bastard at the same time," He grinned.

He really did owe her everything.

"Hello," She greeted as she marched over to Sirius, dumping the plastic bag she was holding into his arms.

Sirius stood beside his front door dumfounded at the whirlwind that was Isabella Weasley. She was wearing black jeans and a white rolling stones t-shirt, a yellow rain coat hanging off of her lean shoulders, a big grin on her face.

"What's this?" Sirius wondered instead of greeting her, he was still in shock from her sudden appearance, her having a lot more energy than she had the day before.

"Muggle clothes," She spoke with a grin, "We are going into muggle London, so I brought you some of Bill's clothes I stole back when we were at home, he's a bit taller than you but the should at least fit a little,"

"Muggle London?" Sirius questioned.

Isabella's smile fell slightly as her voice sobered, "I thought you'd appreciate not being stared at every few seconds all day and we can just get some essentials you need from muggle shops before getting you some Wizarding stuff enough day," She placed an escaped hair behind her ear.

Sirius paused, his heart practically stopping, it had been a long time since anyone had though this much about him and the Isabella came along and didn't seem to want to stop helping him out. He just couldn't figure out why she would want to.

"Thank you," He murmured before gesturing to the stairs, where he headed to get changed.

It only took ten minuets for Sirius to get changed before he made his way back down the stairs, grumbling for every step closer he got to Izzy. Who couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the ex-escapee in blue jeans that were slightly hanging of his bony hips and a brown button up that looked two sizes two big. Why she even had that button up she didn't know, she was pretty sure she took it from her brother for a Halloween party once back at Hogwarts.

"Ready to go?" She wondered.

Sirius took a deep breath, "As I'll ever be,"

 **Once again, I am so sorry for the wait and that this chapter is quite shit but next chapter features their trip into London and a lot of bonding between the two.**

 **Tell me what you guys think!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the long wait again but life just got really busy with work university and essays.**

 **This is part one of there trip into Muggle London as I wanted to give you guys something before I become super busy with another two essays.**

 **Once again, I don't own Harry Potter.**

Isabella stumbled slightly as Sirius fell into her, she had just apparated them into a small alleyway in muggle London and it was obvious that Sirius had yet to get used to the sensation of apparition again, not that she blamed him.

"You okay?" She wondered as she braced him with her hands on his biceps, the barley there muscles flexing as he gathered himself.

Sirius nodded, his eyes darting around the alley nervously as he muttered a quite apology. Izzy's eyebrows furrowed at the look on the older mans face. There was something wrong but she couldn't really pinpoint what it was, she had thought Sirius would have been excited to be able to do something normal as a free man but that didn't seem to be the case.

"What's wrong Sirius?" She questioned, her hands still placed on the tops of his arms as she squeezed them encouragingly.

Sighing, Sirius avoided looking into Isabella's eyes. He knew he was acting like a bit of an asshole who didn't want to talk to her or be here with her but it wasn't that. A lot had changed since he had been able to do anything like this, be anyway where like this without having to look over his shoulder ever few seconds or being disguised as a dog.

"I suppose it's all a bit overwhelming." He started, "What happens if I get recognised? Would the Auror's be called?"

"Even if they were called Sirius, you're a free man now and you are doing nothing wrong," She started, "And maybe you are forgetting that I am also an Auror, so I wouldn't worry about it," She chuckled.

Sirius let a smile brighten his face as he took in the smaller women in front of him, "How could I ever forget. It doesn't surprise me that people have in the past though, you're like a little mouse," He teased, mood brightening.

Isabella gasped in mock horror, "Just remember Sirius Black, I could wipe the floor with you, no wand needed,"

"I'm sure you could," He hummed, a smirk forming as he took her in. Her muggle clothes and soft freckles made her look younger than she actually was but he had no doubt of how strong she was and how much of a powerful with she is.

Isabella rolled her eyes at Sirius but she was happy to see that he was starting to loosen up and become more interest in their day.

"So where too first, Miss Weasley?" Sirius wondered as they made their way out of the alley.

"I thought we could do something about this, never mind getting recognised, I'm pretty sure people are going to think you are homeless, "She chuckled as she pulled on his hair with a wink.

"You think it needs to go?" He asked with a wince as he brought his hand up to feel his still tangled hair.

Isabella nodded, "Unless you want to look like a homeless man for the rest of your life, then yes it needs to go," She couldn't help but laugh at the look on Sirius's face at her comment.

"It's okay Sirius," She chuckled, "You still look handsome," She winked once again before walking off in front of him. Leaving Sirius stood staring at her back with his eyebrows raised in surprise. That was new.

"Do you think she recognised me?" Sirius spoke under his breath as the hair dresser left to get her tools ready.

Isabella couldn't help but let a smirk settle on her face as she shook her head in answer. She knew exactly what the extravagant hairdresser was thinking. This was going to be amusing.

Sirius frowned, "Why does she keep looking at me like that then, my hair isn't that bas… is it?"

It's bad," Izzy chuckled, "but not that bad. I think she's trying to figure out if we are together or not,"

"Together?Wha-Oh." Sirius came to an abrupt halt, "How do you know? Is this some special Auror skill I'm missing? I used to be good at noticing these sorts of things,"

"I'm sure you were. But no, no special Auror skills needed persay, I overheard her talking with the receptionist whist you were taking your coat off, they were discussing if we were together because she finds you ridiculous good looking, even with that ridiculous mane," Izzy chuckled.

"She also said it was a good job she was a hairdresser so she could get rid of it," Isabella couldn't help but burst out laughing at the look on Sirius' face.

"Did she?" He questioned put out.

"No, I just added the hairdresser bit because I thought it would be funny," Izzy raised an eyebrow, "The first part was all true though,"

"You're hilarious," Sirius snarked.

"I know,"

Sirius sat watching as Isabella smirked to herself through the mirror he was sat in front of. The outcome of their conversation had genuinely surprised him. He was glad to know that he still had it even though he still looked as though he had been pushed into a bush and just left there for weeks. That's what spending years in Azkaban did to someone, it wasn't going to change overnight.

He was also surprised at how casual Isabella was being about the whole situation of someone thinking they were together. Why would someone as young and beautiful as her not be put out at the thought of being connected to a washed out practically middle-aged man. He just didn't understand what she was doing hanging around him what so ever.

He was determined to find out why.

 ** _Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, I'm so sorry for how short it is_**


	19. Chapter 19

**_Hey Guys! Sorry about the wait again, I've been super busy with university stuff. I'm actually writing this instead of doing an essay due just after Christmas. ALSO! OMG! THIS STORY JUST HIT 100 REVIEWS! Such a milestone! Thank you all for reading every update and review and letting me know what you think!_**

Isabella couldn't hold back the undignified snort that left her mouth at the sight in front of her. Sirius had exited the dressing room in an ACDC t-shirt and tight black jeans, a smug smirk resting on his face, an eyebrow raised.

"See, this is exactly why I'm here," Izzy giggled, a hand covering her mouth.

"What?" Sirius asked in mock outrage as he placed his hands on his hips, "Is this not stylish enough for you,"

Isabella rolled her eyes. She knew he was making fun of her since she insisted that he try on outfits for her to see if they were appropriate for the decade and not the one previous, it was nice to see him having a good time and not second guessing himself. Even if it was at her expense.

"Is this what you used to wear? And you said you were a lady's man?" She teased the older man who was striking silly poses in the muggle mirror.

Sirius spun round in outrage, "I'll have you know Auror Weasley, that I was exceptional in my youth,"

"Or were you just cocky?" Izzy countered with a grin.

Sirius smile faltered at her words, as he ran a hand through his newly short hair, coming to sit on the seat next to her, ignoring the looks they were getting from the other customers of the muggle shop they were in. It had taken a lot of persuasion for Isabella to be allowed in the foyer of the men's changing room, having to spin the lie that Sirius was a rich man and she was his personal shopper.

"What's wrong?" She asked after a few minutes of silence, giving Sirius the space that he looked like he needed, his hooded eyes staring straight at the black and white tiled floor of the changing rooms.

"Lily used to say that constantly, _Sirius one day someone is going to realise just how cocky you actually are, you're all talk,_ is what she used to say, it started off as an actual insult but then eventually became an inside joke, she used to hate me and James you know?" He spoke quietly.

"Really?"

Sirius nodded, "Yeah, Remus was the one she really liked, didn't like Peter either, she must have had good taste." He laughed, "We were a bunch of little pricks really, pranking everybody we could, even the teachers and I was, as you gathered a lady's man," He winked.

"No, it was bad, I was a dick and had no self-control but I had a lot of time to think about what I regret from Hogwarts but meeting James and Remus, even Lilly, I could never regret,"

Isabella smiled softly, "I think you turned out to be a pretty great person Sirius Black from what I can tell," She spoke before adding quickly, "How did Lily and James get together if she hated him, if you don't mind me asking?"

Sirius laughed, loudly. His brow crinkling and the lines of his face contorting with mirth. It was a good look on him, Isabella thought, happiness.

"She hated him all the way up to sixth year, Lily would swear that she hated him until seventh year which is the year that they got together but it all started to change in sixth year, she started hanging around with us more,"

"What changed?"

Sirius grew sombre again, "The war I guess, we were forced to grow up earlier than was necessary, we still did all the things we did before like the pranks and the antagonising Slytherins but there was a different… weight to it." He paused.

"Over the summer before attacks had become more frequent and it was apparent as soon as we started back that the Slytherins were on another level, sixth year was actually the year I ran away from home,"

"Wait," Izzy interrupted, "You ran away from home?"

The older man froze slightly," Yes… It wasn't easy being me in my house, I guess. I was the only Gryffindor in a house full of snakes, a disappointment to the most noble house of Black,"

"I'm sorry Sirius,"

He shook his head, "No, don't be. They weren't my real family not really, except maybe at first Regulus and always Uncle Alfred. But no, the Potters, James, Remus, Lily and even I guess at the time, Peter were my family," He scoffed.

"Anyway, sixth year is when she started to warm up to him and they became friends, much to James' disappointment and Lily's well, her not wanting to accept the fact that they were friends. James had spent the past five years constantly asking her out in different more extravagant ways until sixth year when he just stopped,"

Izzy smiled at the picture she was getting of Lily and James Potter but also of a young Sirius, "so how did they actually get together,"

Sirius laughed once more, "Lilipad just snapped and kissed Prongs out of the blue! Well, more like they kissed when she was drunk at a party and it just spiralled from there when she realised, she hadn't really hated him for all them years and well the rest everybody knows."

"We graduated Hogwarts, joined the Order, they got married had Harry and…" Sirius trailed off as he rubbed at his face.

"It's okay to miss them Sirius, "Isabella spoke as she pulled him into a hug, "It's okay to not be okay, it's okay to grieve,"

"I've had long enough to grieve," He spoke roughly into her jumper glad shoulder.

Isabella sighed, "You can't put a time stamp on your emotions Sirius,"

Sirius nodded as he let out a sniff, "You're right, anyway, I can't belie we just had this conversation in a men's changing room,"

Izzy raised her eyebrow, "I'm surprised we haven't gotten kicked out by now, go and get changed into something you actually want to buy so we can finally leave!"

 ** _Thanks again guys for getting me to 100 Reviews! I literally squealed when I noticed! Tell me what you think!_**


	20. Chapter 20

**I don't own Harry Potter, once again so sorry for the wait, university is kicking my butt.**

"You are so cute, yes you are," Isabella cooed at her godson running a finger over the tufts of black hair covering the almost two-month year old's small head, "You are just perfect, aren't you Lewis, I am so glad to meet you, yes I am,"

She looked up to find both Alex and Linda staring at her with identical raised eyebrows and smirks, "What! You're the ones who decided to go swanning off to France right before you gave birth and only just come back, four months later. I had to wait two months to meet this precious little bean,"

Linda chuckled, "It's not like we went there for a casual holiday, you know mam moved there a few years ago and she wanted me to be there when I gave birth, we wanted to wait till Lewis was slightly older before we risked taking a portkey back,"

Nodding, Isabella smiled as she tickled Lewis' stomach, "I know, I'm just really glad to meet him, and see you again," She smiled widely.

"What is it with you an babies?" Alex teased, "After having so many siblings you'd think you'd be over this by now,"

Izzy rolled her eyes, "It's not just babies, it's family." She added on softly.

"Ignore him," Linda approached her best friend, placing a hand on her shoulder as she peered down at her son, who was burrowed into the redhead's arms, "He loves you already and you've only been her ten minutes,"

"And I love him too," Isabella smiled.

"How are you doing? After everything that's happened, I just can't believe it when I read it in the paper," Alex spoke an hour later when Lewis was happily sleeping on his mother's chest.

Izzy couldn't help but sigh to herself at the topic change, it had been two weeks since the day Sirius had been found out to be innocent, and its still all anybody could talk about. She knew these where her best friends but it was still an open investigation and she couldn't help but be worried about how much she should tell them.

"Yeah, I'm good. I guess it's been pretty crazy for everyone." She commented slowly, choosing her words carefully.

"But you were the one to make the arrest of Pettigrew and proved Sirius Black's innocent, you must have been pretty blindsided going into the situation hunting the wrong man," Linda wondered, noticing the peculiar look on her best friend's face.

Isabella shuffled nervously in her seat, "Blindsided or not thing night has probably made my career as an Auror,"

Linda sighed, "Okay. What are you not telling us?" She questioned moving forward on the sofa, carful to not wake Lewis and ignoring the confused look that her husband was sending in her direction. Sure, they had all been really good friends but Izzy and Linda had lived in the same dorm room for seven years, spending the majority of their time together rather than apart. Their bond was different and she could tell Isabella was hiding something, something important.

"I-I don't know what you mean," Izzy stalled as she scratched at the back of her neck nervously.

"No, Linda's right, you're hiding something from us," Alex spoke up, finally noticing the tension in Isabella's shoulders and the way they were hunched forward like she was trying to hide within herself.

Izzy paused as she looked around the room for something, anything to get her out of this conversation. She knew she could trust her two closest friends with her secret but she didn't know whether she was ready to speak the truth out loud yet. About her and Sirius and how they met, their connection per say and how she couldn't explain how she just knew, somewhere deep inside herself that he was innocent all along… even before the truth came out.

"Izzy?" Linda prodded when the red head hadn't spoken for minuets, her eyes fixed on the fireplace either if she looked away it would disappear or that she was considering launching herself into the Floo from where she was sat.

"I-uh-Oh Merlin!" Isabella shot up from her seat, "I don't know what I'm going to do! These past few months have been a whirlwind, and now its all settling down, apart from the fact that they are still questioning Pettigrew at the Ministry and haven't yet thrown him in Azkaban because they are obsessed with finding out more about a dark lord who is already fucking dead, it's all almost over." She took a deep breath, pacing around the room, her hands shooting to her hair.

"And-I, I'm probably going to lose my job, or fuck! Even go to Azkaban if anybody ever found out…ever! And here I am about to tell you two but I can't! I can't!"

Alex shared a concerned look with his wife as he got up to collect Lewis from her chest and to take him to the cot into his room quickly, not wanting his son to wake up but at the same time needing to be there for one of his best friends. Linda stood up as Alex left the room with Lewis, stalking forward to catch Izzy by her shoulders.

"Hey, hey," She soothed, pulling Izzy into a tight hug as the shorter women burst into tears, her eyes meeting Alex's in concern as he entered the room, coming up to the two women to rub his hand up and down Izzy's back as her sobs quietened.

"Start from the beginning," Linda asked, as Izzy pulled back from her embrace.

And so she did. She told them about what had happened in the past year, how she knew somehow that Sirius Black was innocent and started investigating and yes how she did break into, at the time a supposed mass murders house, and so on.

By the time she had finished her best friends were staring at her with their eyes wide and mouths open.

"So uhrm yeah, now I think about it… my future is not going to be in the Auror office but rather in Azkaban," Izzy joked with tears in her eyes.

"That's not going to happen," Alex spoke up as he gathered her into his arms and stroked her hair, her head leaning on his chest, "We aren't going to tell anybody and from what you've told us about Sirius Black, it sounds like he thinks he owes you his life,"

Isabella sniffed, "I don't want him to feel like he owes me anything, I just don't know why but I want to be his friend, especially after all he has been through,"

There was a pregnant pause as the married couple shared yet again another look over her head.

"I hate to be the devil's advocate in this situation," Linda started, "But is that really a good idea?"

"What do you mean?"

"Staying away from him may be the best idea, if you want to avoid for defiant the truth not being told, but at the same time the man spent twelve years in a prison that sucks the happiness and life out of you, that's got to have affected him,"

Isabella swallowed, "And it has… affected him I mean but that doesn't make me not want to be his friend, or not wanting to be in his life just because it may be difficult, when have you ever known me to give up on something because the odds are against me?"

Alex nodded, "I agree with what you're saying Iz, but why do you want to be his friend so much?"

Izzy shrugged as she struggled with an answer," I don't know, this is a man who trusted me with his life, with his innocence, we have been through a lot together in such a short time and I just want to be his friend," She answered honestly.

"Then be his friend, just as long as you're sure about this," Linda spoke softly.

"I am,"

 **Hope you enjoyed, I apologise for the lack of Sirius!**


	21. Chapter 21

**I don't own Harry Potter**

"Weasley!"

Isabella shot up from her desk as her boss shouted her from across the busy room, a few heads of the other Auror's turning to look at her with raised eyebrows. They were probably thinking she was in trouble.

For a second Izzy froze, her hand laying clenched on the back of her desk chair which she had unconsciously moved around when she was shouted, her heart pounding at the possibilities of what Scrimgeour wanted. Did he know? Was she going to get arrested? Chucked into Azkaban?

Honestly, she was turning into a bloody worry wart and it was starting to piss her off well as much as you can be pissed off at yourself anyway. Of course, he didn't know, if he had known then he wouldn't just be calling for her across the Auror office like the normal, she would have been humiliated and arrested in front of all of her colleagues.

"Yes, Sir?" She questioned as she hurried towards Scrimgeour's office towards where he was stood in the doorway, hands on his hips and a grim look on his face.

"I need you to come with me," Scrimgeour motioned his head, hair flicking as he set of in fast paces, Isabella struggling to keep up with him as her legs were slightly shorter than his.

"Where are we going, Sir?" She wondered.

"To the interrogation room, Pettigrew has spouted some rather… appealing news about Black and Voldemort. Since you are the only person in this office as Kingsley is off on assignment and who is not currently retired that knows Sirius Black more than just seeing his face plastered all over this place, I thought you could help with the interrogation."

Izzy was that shocked she actually stopped walking, gaping at her boss' back. She was only a Junior Auror and this was a big case, she couldn't believe she was being asked to do this. At the same time, even though it was a big opportunity and would help her get even more noticed by the higher ups after the last few months, she didn't want to.

Having to see that wretched man in person once again was extremely high on the list of things that she never wants to do again. Especially knowing that this was the man that was ultimately responsible for the Potter's deaths, leaving poor innocent Harry orphaned, he had become one of the family over the passed couple of years, especially after he saved Ginny's life. Her heart hurt as she thought of the young boy with scruffy hair and sad eyes.

That all turned into anger as her fists clenched when she thought of Sirius, of their conversation in muggle London and the angst on his face when he spoke about Pettigrew… the happiness when he talked about James and Lily Potter.

"Weasley?" Her stern voice broke her out of her thoughts as she looked up to find Scrimgeour stood a few paces away with an inquiring eyebrow raised, "Coming?"

"Yes, Sir." The red head replied in resignation as she trudged after him towards the interrogation rooms where Peter Pettigrew was being held.

* * *

He looked worse than the last time she had seen him, if that was even possible. His face was gaunter and more withdrawn, thick bags under his eyes, a pathetic pleading look upon his face. Izzy knew he was trying to play for sympathy with the officers but that wasn't going to happen especially with what Pettigrew had done, becoming a Death Eater and selling out the Potter's.

Almost all of the Auror's in the office that weren't new in the past five or so years had known intimately the effect of the First Wizarding War, being Dark Wizard catchers meant that they had to be involved in some way or another. Well, avoiding the mention of how corrupt the ministry actually was during the wizarding war as she knew from her family. Many of the men and women had lost colleagues and even family, it was not something that was easily forgotten.

Pettigrew had his hands placed in front of him on the sleek black table, not that he had much of a choice due to them being bound there by magical cuffs. Izzy knew the man was also being given some sort of potion that prevented him from transforming into the rat he was. She didn't know the logistics behind it, not being the best potion maker but she had gotten good enough grades to pass her Newts with and Exceeds Exceptions but had done no further studying than that.

The moment Peter saw the Auror he knew to be a Weasley, who had been in the shack that day he had been confronted by Remus and Sirius, his eyes lit up while his lips turned inward. The Auror's were stupid. The Dark Lord was right, their thirst for knowledge, to be right would be there downfall and they were playing right into his trap.

"Mr Pettigrew," The Head Auror greeted with a flick of his wand, causing the two chairs opposite the convict to be pulled out, "We have come here today to speak in more depth about the claims you spoke to Auror Beesel earlier this morning,"

Scrimgeour paused with his famous raised eyebrow as he waited for Peter to speak, he didn't." This is Auror Weasley, she was the one to make your arrest, if you remember,"

"I do," Peter cut in timidly, ringing his hands together. His nervousness not coming from being questioned by the Auror's but with the fact that if he didn't pull this off, he would never get transported to Azkaban and if he didn't get transported, he would never get out of here. The potion they had given him only lasted for so long and he knew that but they didn't seem to, he couldn't very well escape from the ministry but on a transport? That he could do. He needed to at least give them something.

Isabella sat silent for an hour as she listened to her boss grill the murderer in front of her, Peter's timid almost scared replies to the simplest of questions, he had yet to repeat or confirm what he had supposedly told Auror Beesel earlier this morning and was avoiding the topic all together. He was up to something but she wasn't sure what he has going to gain from what he was doing, Pettigrew was going to Azkaban to rot for the rest of his life… nothing he said or didn't say was going to change that.

Gathering the courage Isabella turned to her boss, requesting if she could speak to him outside for a few moments. She knew she was overstepping the boundaries, she was only a Junior Auror who should have just been happy to sit there and listen to Pettigrew get integrated.

* * *

"Care to explain yourself, Weasley?" Scrimgeour turned to look at her as the step outside the room.

"He's playing us, Sir" She finally spoke up, unable to help herself. "At the shack he was a completely different man, he was manic and evil. He only turned into the man in that room when he was scared of getting killed, the memories of the night we collected and have studied should also confirm this,"

Scrimgeour stroked a hand down his lower face as he looked intrigued, "Go on, Weasley. We haven't got all day."

Izzy nodded nervously. "That man is also not acting the way he was when I was taking him in, Sir. When he tried to escape, he was malicious, not timid. Why did he mention whatever he did to Auror Beesel to get you in there and then for him to not even mention or allude to it? He's playing a game Sir."

"What do you propose we do?"

"We turn the tables on him Sir. We get ourselves into whatever game he's playing and we smash the bored." She spoke passionately, ignoring the look on the head Auror's face as she finished her tirade, the other Aurors milling about and the officers guarding the door to the interrogation rooms giving her peculiar glances. "We get him to admit to selling to Potter's out in person and not in a memory so we can finally get him out of here,"

"And you know how to do this, do you Weasley?"

"Yes, Sir,"

* * *

Isabella stalked into the interrogation room a file secured under her arm, Scrimgeour following close behind her as she retook her seat with a faked confidence. Inside her nerves were going crazy but in order to pull this off she needed to be calm and collected.

"Can you tell me about your relationship with James Potter, Sirius Black and a," She paused and opened to file in front of her face as she pretended to read intently what was really the office work rota, "Remus Lupin during your seven years at Hogwarts."

For the first time since the had been in the room that day Peter paused with the constant wringing of his hands on the table as his fists clenched instead. This was a new line of questioning, the Auror's had always asked about the Order of the Phoenix and the Dark Lord, of course they had asked about his relationship with James and Sirius during the order and war but Remus was never mentioned and neither was Hogwarts but he supposed that was his own fault. He should have never opened his mouth to that twit Beesel.

"No?" Isabella spoke up as Peter just continued to stare at her, "You have nothing to say about some of the information you told Auror Beesel earlier today about James Potter and Sirius Black being illegal Animagus?"

Peter coughed, "I already told the other Auror everything I know about that,"

"Not only is that an absurd claim that a few teenage boys could become Animagus it is a claim that could get Black into trouble with no evidence, once again. Mr Pettigrew you are really starting to waste our time with all this nonsense,"

Pettigrew slammed his wrists down on the table as hard as he could with the cuffs wrapped around them, a loud clanging sound surrounding the interrogation room. Izzy held back a smirk as her plan was working, she knew they had to get him to drop the act of being timid and shy and they way to do that was through Sirius, James and Remus.

Even though she knew it from the source himself, she had told Scrimgeour that during her time in the shack she had noticed a certain dynamic between Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. A dynamic that she was now going to use to her advantage by triggering his anger and getting him to drop the act he had put on.

Obviously, she knew the truth about Sirius, James and the Animagus secret but her boss didn't and the Auror office had apparently already decided not to look into Peter's claims as they believed he was grasping at straws in order to delay his transport to Azkaban. His claims though gave Isabella the opportunity she just took.

"It isn't nonsense!" Pettigrew almost shouted, "Even in death Saint Potter can do nothing wrong, and Black… what will it take for you to realise he isn't the man you think he is!"

Scrimgeour leant forward in his seat at the outburst, surprised that the man had been so thoughtless to take the bait his Junior Auror had laid out.

"Mr Black has proved his innocence and it is not his character we are questioning today, it's yours Mr Pettigrew." Scrimgeour spoke up, pausing to look over at Isabella as he signalled for her to continue.

"If you could answer the question,"

Peter sighed as his shoulders shrunk, "I practically worshiped them and the ground they walked on but they weren't interested in me and being my friend,"

Isabella pretended to look down at the file she was still holding, "We have it on record that you, Potter, Black and Lupin were friends, which can be supported by your unrealistic claims to Auror Beesel about all of you becoming illegal Animagus in order to aid Mr Lupin on full moons," She paused as she looked back up at Peter, meeting his beady eyes.

"That's not what you just said," Scrimgeour added.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes as Izzy and Peter continued to stare at each other.

"Okay… I admit we were friends but we were not equals. Like I said I worshiped the grounds they walked on, especially Sirius and James but they were too concerned with themselves and didn't bother about me,"

Isabella nodded, "Is that what Voldemort did? He noticed? Is that why you switched sides,"

"The Dark Lord only noticed me after I came to him, but he did notice," Peter admitted.

"He didn't seek you out?" Isabella was unable to hide her surprise, "You joined up yourself?"

"Why wouldn't I? People would fear me! I wouldn't be the weak little tag along anymore. Poor Peter Pettigrew, people would say. 'why do they even hang out with him, he's so boring and ugly'. I'd heard it all and I had had enough!"

"What would a Dark Lord as strong as Voldemort want with a weakling like you, Pettigrew?" Scrimgeour spoke up once again, his years of being on the force making him more tuned in to when a suspect was going to crack completely and Peter was well on his way.

"I had uses!" Pettigrew was getting increasingly worked up.

Isabella leant back into her chain, "What did you do the cleaning and serving food?" She spoke mockingly, a hand clenching under the table, he was going down.

"No! nothing like that!"

"The shopping?"

"No!"

"Hmm," Izzy sighed as she now folded her arms across her chest, this is what she had been trained for, "Did you wash the clothes?"

"No, I didn't!" Peter growled.

Izzy sat forward, eyes bazing, "You went on raids and killed muggles and muggle born? Tortured people?"

"N-I-Uh," Peter faltered as he slumped back into his chair, "No I didn't do that either,"

The red head ran a hand through he hair in irritation, "But you did kill 12 muggles on the 1st November 1981, didn't you Peter? Because you were going to get caught, Sirius confronted you. You got backed into a corner and killed 12 innocent people just hours after you got your supposedly closest friends killed by giving up their location to Voldemort, after they trusted you."

Pettigrew said nothing as he stared at his hands that he was once again wringing together. He couldn't help but let the Auror's words get to him and his resolve was slipping. The situation had been turned onto its head and he was no longer the one in control of the outcome.

"But that's what you wanted, wasn't it Peter? You wanted to be treated as their equal… to have their trust. And that's what happened. They trusted you but it was too late, you were setting them up for a betrayal… one that cost them their lives and orphaned their child,"

"I-I didn't want them to get hurt, "Pettigrew sniffed.

"But they did," Izzy spoke softly, reaching over begrudgingly to place her hand on top of Peter's, trying desperately not to wince. "You sold them out to Voldemort, didn't you Peter?" She carried on in a soft tone, as she grasped at his hand.

Peter nodded, "Yes, I-I did,"

* * *

"You did good in there Weasley." Scrimgeour spoke five minuets later as the exited the room leaving Pettigrew weeping to himself, head on the black desk. "You are going to make a very good Auror,"

"Thank you, Sir" Izzy nodded with a small smile as she hid her trembling hands behind her back and away from her boss' line of sight. Clenching her hands together in an attempt to make the tremors stop. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to use the restroom."

Izzy didn't wait for a response as she hurried towards the nearest female bathroom, slamming through the door and not bothering to check if there was anybody in the room before she rushed into a cubicle, the green door slamming on the wall as she threw up.

Using a piece of toilet roll, she whipped at her mouth before resting her head on the toilet seat. It wasn't very sanitary but she didn't feel like she had any energy as tears started to stream down her face at what she had just done.

It felt good that they had finally gotten Pettigrew to confess but the way she had twisted at his fears and emotions made her feel no better than him, to some extent.

Manipulative.

 **Sorry for an error's and once again for no Sirius but this is Isabella's story but don't worry he will be back next chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22

**_I don't own Harry Potter. I hope everyone is still interested in this story! I've also been having a bit of writer's block so I apologise for the wait once again but we are going to be heading into GOF very soon! Well, as soon as I can find some more motivation and ideas to write more. Thanks' for sticking with me!_**

Isabella had woken up to a standard Ministry Owl tapping on her bedroom window at four am, which was never a good occurrence. The owl was also responsible for why she was now standing in the frantic Auror office at 4:15 with a scowl etched onto her sleep deprived face.

He'd escaped. Peter Pettigrew had escaped.

The Auror office had been transporting him to Azkaban through the night, a tactic they had decided on in order to avoid reporters like bloody Rita Skeeter. However, the rat had disappeared before the officers had even made it to the vast waters surrounding the island Azkaban was situated. The most frustrating thing was that nobody knew how it had happened, much like they didn't when Sirius escaped.

Pettigrew had been on potions preventing an Animagus change, chained up and guarded by some of the best Auror's she knew but he still managed to slither his way out of their grasps. If Izzy could have been anymore sure that the man should have been in Slytherin, she was now.

"Everything okay?" Elijah questioned as he walked up behind her, Isabella doing all she could to avoid jumping as he snuck up on her.

"Does all this look alright?" She gestured around at the many Auror's fumbling around the Office, a trainee even tripping over his own feet trying to get out of Kingsley Shacklebolt's way as he marched around shouting orders.

"She's right, Jameson, this is a shit tip," Tonks piped up as she came up to the two, the three of them now becoming quite close friends after the events of the past year.

Elijah rolled his eyes at the two smaller women before him, "I didn't mean the office, which is a 'shit tip' as you so eloquently put it Tonks," He paused as the women laughed, "I just meant you Izzy, you're looking down… more sad than angry at Pettigrew's escape."

Isabella eye's lit up with anger, "If your suggesting I'm not angry that he escaped Jameson, then you are severely mistaken. You do realise who we are talking about right? Harry Potter is practically a Weasley, of course I'm bloody angry!"

Tonks' eyes widened in shock as Jameson held his hands out, latching onto Isabella's arms as if to placate her. "Calm down Iz, you know I didn't mean it like that." He soothed.

Isabella took a deep breath in order to calm herself and refocus on the conversation in front of her. Her emotions had been all over the place since her interview, well interrogation, of Pettigrew and the stress of her own emotions regarding the whole helping a at the time mass murderer without telling anyone about it.

"Sorry," She apologised sincerely to Elijah, whilst throwing an apologetic look Tonks' way, "I just don't understand how this could have happened- again."

Tonks's ran a hand through her bright pink hair, looking uncharacteristically down trodden, "I don't think any of us can understand this, Izzy. It was one thing for Sirius Black," The Metamorphmagus paused at the thought of her mother's cousin, "To escape Azkaban but that was the Dementors who were responsible, but for Pettigrew to escape Auror custody… it's not good."

"No, it isn't." Jameson agreed, shaking his head, sending Isabella a concerned gaze. He knew something was wrong with her… more than just Peter Pettigrew's surprising escape. Getting it out of her wouldn't be easy, but he had to try.

"I best be off, got a patrol starting in five," Tonks spoke up, slapping the two older Auror's on the back in a friendly gesture before stumbling off towards where a gaggle of Junior Auror's were stood discussing strategy in the corner.

Isabella's eyes darted around the room once more, avoiding Elijah's suspecting gaze, even though deep down she knew it wouldn't be enough to stop his questions.

Her eyes landed on the newest addition to her desk, it was a cactus plant that came in a plant pot shaped as a motorcycle. Sirius had bought for her as a thank you for the day she took him into Muggle London in an attempt to get him more accustomed to the world once again. Holding back a smile at the memory of him showing up at her flat a few days ago with the gift.

 _The knock on her door had caused her to frown and mute her TV from where she had been watching a muggle cartoon show. Who was coming to her door at nine pm on a Monday night? The only visitors she normally got were members of her family, who would all be at the Burrow right now or respectively in Romania and Egypt. Heading towards her door, she took a quick look through her peep hole, red tinted eyebrows raising at the sight in front of her._

 _It was Sirius Black._

 _His hair was a bit on the wild side, landing in waves just above his eyebrows, surprising in how fast it had started to grow after his recent haircut, while his eyes looked around in a half nervous, half expectant way._

 _Leaning back on her heels and away from her wooden front door, Isabella took a deep breath before swinging the door open, a smile lighting u her face as Sirius was revealed to her in full. She had to admit to herself that he did in fact look good in clothes that actually fit him and suited his style._

 _"Hey!What are you doing here," She spoke with a smile, unable to keep the surprise at him turning up on her doorstep from her voice._

 _"I-uh," Sirius cleared his throat, a sheepish smile appearing on his face at the sight of her in her sleepwear, red hair handing over her shoulders as he thrust a large brown paper bag into her arms unexpected causing her to fumble to not drop it. There hands touched as he quickly placed his hands over hers in order to steady her so she didn't drop the bag._

 _"Sorry," He apologised, lips pursed to himself at his uncharacteristic nervousness, "I came to give you this. I went back into Muggle London yesterday to buy some things, still not up to going into Diagon Alley and I went back into the Garden Center we visited and saw this and I wanted to get it for you as a thank you for helping me even though you didn't have to,"_

 _Isabella held the paper bag close to her chest as she smiled at the older man, "Thank you, I love it."_

 _Sirius raised an intrigued eyebrow, his nerves lessening, "You haven't even looked at it yet." He teased with a charming smile, his personality starting to shine through more. He didn't know why but he always got nervous around the young redhead, it wasn't something that he could control._

 _"I don't need to, the fact that you went through all this effort to bring me something just makes me know that I'll love it," She smiled back._

 _"It isn't me that has been going through so much effort just to make an old man feel comfortable."_

 _They stood there in her doorway for a good few minuets just smiling at each other before Isabella snapped out of it, her arms tightening around the bag in her arms as unrolled the top and peaked inside. It was a cactus, she smiled as she remembered how she had told Sirius it was her favourited muggle plant while they had been in the Garden center. Her smile widened as she spotted the pot the plant was in as she recalled another conversation that they had that day surrounding Sirius' love for motorcycles and how when he was younger, he'd charmed one to fly._

 _"I really do love it," She spoke sincerely._

 _Sirius grinned, "I'm glad,"_

 _"Would you like to come in? I'm only watching muggle cartoons nothing interesting but I could make you a cup of tea?"_

 _"I-"Sirius faltered for a second, "I'd love too,"_

Isabella ran a finger across the clay motorcycle as she broke out of her thoughts of that night before turning around to meet Jameson's intense look. "Ask whatever it is you need to ask Elijah…"

"What's wrong? What's really wrong?"

Izzy sighed as she sat down on her desk chair, resting her head on her knuckles, "It's S-Black, I just can't imagine how he is going to feel when he finds out the person who was responsible for his over a decade worth of suffering is escaping justice and it's our fault once again,"

Jameson sighed crouching down beside her chair, "I agree, it's not going to be pretty whoever has to tell him,"

Isabella opened her mouth to retort but got cut of as Kingsley came striding towards them," Jameson, Weasley… I need you to go to Black's house and search the perimeter, we don't know if Pettigrew would be stupid enough to go there are confront him but we need to be sure. While you're there Scrimgeour wants you to inform Mr Black about what is happening, he deserves to know,"

And with that Kingsley rushed off once again.

"Great," Izzy hissed under her breath as she turned to Elijah a frown marring her face, "This is going to be fun,"

 ** _I have a few ideas maybe about how the next chapter is gong to go but I am not overly sure the direction I'm going to take. Let me know what you all think!_**


	23. Chapter 23

**All I can say is that I am really really sorry for such a long wait. I got swamped with work and university and then since the summer holidays I have hardly been in the country. Sorry for it being short again as well, I feel like all I have to offer right now are apologies.**

Izzy let out what felt like her thirtieth sigh since she found out her and Elijah were going to be the ones to tell Sirius about Pettigrew's escape from Ministry custody, they had really messed up this time. The scrutiny that the Auror office would be subject to after the fact that they had let the rat escape could probably cripple them, especially since they were still riding the waves of having sent an innocent man to Azkaban for over a decade.

"You sure you're all right?" Elijah asked, worry etched onto his handsome face, his concern surrounding his partner growing by the minute.

Pinching her nose between her fingers, Isabella nodded. "I'm alright Elijah, just thinking this wasn't what I signed up for when I wanted to become an Auror."

"You mean… you didn't want to have to tell a man who was wrongly imprisoned with soul sucking monsters for twelve years that almost killed him that, we, the office responsible for said imprisonment lost the man actually responsible for the crimes committed?"

Izzy couldn't help but release a soft chuckle at her partners words, "It's just not where I saw my career going,"

Elijah sighed, a frown marring his face, "Me either kid, me either. Now how do you want to play this?"

"Aren't you the Senior agent?" She lifted a red eyebrow.

"True," Jameson pointed at her with a quick smirk before turning serious once again," But you have had more dealings with Black than me and that means you will know how to handle this better than me, I trust you."

Nodding, Isabella placed her hands on her hips, her gaze wandering vigilantly around the deserted street, it was nearing six am but the sleepy street was still covered in a layer of darkness, getting lighter by the minute.

"He isn't going to take it well," She paused, "You keep an eye on the perimeter before the backup arrives to keep watch throughout the day, I'll talk to S-Mr Black on my own,"

Jameson looked like her wanted to object to her orders but he was the one that had told her to take lead, so he was going to let her do just that. Nodding to her with a smile, he headed of towards the row of houses where Sirius Black lived, muttering spells under his breath, searching for any sign that Peter Pettigrew had come for one of his old friends once and for all.

* * *

Isabella wrung her hands together nervously as she waited for Sirius to answer the door. She couldn't help but let out a small smile at the sound of him grumbling to himself about the time as he made his way towards his front door.

"Wha-Isabella?" The older man almost gaped in shock at seeing the Weasley at his door so early in the morning, "What's wrong?"

"What? I can't just visit you when I want too?"

Sirius looked baffled, "Sure, just not at whatever bloody time this is… I need my beauty sleep you know, I'm trying to sleep off twelve years or wrinkles,"

Izzy chuckled, "Of course you are"

"Why are you really here?"

"Official Auror business, I'm afraid." She sighed as she followed Sirius into the house and to the kitchen where he started to boil the kettle magical, not even asking if she wanted anything, just knowing.

"Come on then, out with it," Sirius spoke as he placed the steaming mug in front of where she had sat herself at his kitchen counter.

Isabella's blue eyes darted around the room, unable to meet his eyes, a muffled _fuck_ escaping her as she dug up the courage to tell Sirius the one thing, other than something had happened to Harry, that she knew would destroy him and hinder all the progress he had made into attempting to get his life back towards some sense of normalcy.

"Izzy?"

Sirius had reached a hand forward in order to gain her attention, a hand that she immediately grasped with her own, her face paler than usual, a gloomy look encompassing her youthful face. She cleared her throat in preparation for the news she was about to share.

"He escaped." Was all she finally managed to reveal.

Sirius' brows furrowed in confusion, even though his sleepiness had been wiped away by the sudden appearance of his redheaded friend his brain couldn't fit together the puzzle she seemed to be trying to tell him.

"Pettigrew. He escap-" And that's all Izzy managed to get out before Sirius lashed out with rage.

"HE WHAT!" The man shouted, ripping his hand out of Isabella's and standing up so fast that the stool he was sitting on fell to the floor with a loud thud the only thing that could be heard in the silent room other than Sirius' ragged breathing.

"Sirius!" Isabella attempted to calm him.

Sirius stalked round the counter so he was standing closer to him, close enough for her to see the fire in his eyes. "NO! Don't _Sirius_ me! How could you let this happen!"

"I don't-"

"Don't you understand what this means?" He roared.

Izzy winced, "Of course I do!"

Sirius stepped closer so they were now face to face, Isabella having also stood when he had moved around the counter.

"Are you sure you do?" He spoke calmly, "Because I don't think you have any idea,"

Pursing her lips together Izzy nodded.

"Then why did you let it happen!" Sirius walked away from her and into a pace. " He's the one responsible for getting James and Lily killed, Merlin what if he goes after Harry! Maybe your just to young to understand any of this."

Gasping in outrage Isabella forced Sirius to turn around and face her, anger now shining in her eyes, "I am not to young to understand any of this! I know what's at stake! What could happen...to you… to Harry."

"I'll do everything I can to fix this Sirius," She breathed.

Sirius' jaw clenched, "I want you to leave,"

"Siri-"

"GET OUT!" He shouted at her, "Please,"

* * *

Isabella stood staring at the front door that had just slammed behind her, her heart pounding in her chest, unwanted tears threatening to escape from her eyes. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She went in there knowing he'd be angry but that was not something she ever expected to face.

He had looked livid and for the life of her she couldn't tell if he was just angry because of the rat or if that was what he really thought about her, that she was just a child playing at being an adult.

"How'd he take it?" Elijah's voice echoed from behind her in the still morning, "Thought I heard some shouting."

Izzy clenched her jaw as she wiped at her eyes, forcing the tears that wanted to fall away as she set her shoulders.

"Badly"

 **Okay, what do you think? Let me know! Hopefully I have gotten some of my inspiration and motivation back!**


	24. Chapter 24

**uploading from my phone so apologies if any errors and i know its short but i wanted to get something out as its been so long**  
Elijah winced as he heard the raised voice of who he could identify as Sirius Black coming from the house.

He knew the man wasn't going to take the news of Pettigrew's escape well, especially with his known temper surrounding anything associated with law enforcement at the moment.

The man was surprised that the man seemed to be taking it out on Isabella. He knew that there was something going on between Black and his partner, what he wasn't sure, but he wasn't as oblivious as Izzy thought he was.

The older man would admit that it had taken him awhile to notice something was off with Isabella and anything surrounding the escapee but that was also because the young Auror was strangely good at hiding her feelings and emotions from people, but he supposed that makes an effective Auror.

Head snapping up at the sound of the front door slamming open, a frown marred Elijah's usually handsome face at the sight of the redhead stumbling of of the door, a pained look gathered on her face.

Out of respect for his partner, Jameson turned around and pretended to be preoccupied with a 'patrol'.

"Everything alright, love?' Jameson questions as he heard the familiar footsteps behind him, turning to face Isabella.

She had a paler face than usual, freckles looking so distinct they were like stars in a country sky. Her eyes were red rimmed, he could tell she was trying her hardest to hold back all of her emotion but it wasn't working.

Isabella took a deep breath as she took in the look of concern on Elijah's face, willing her tears away. She couldn't help but feel like she should be as upset as she was. It made no sense for her to be, they had hardly been friends, hell, Sirius was over a decade older than her. Why would he even have wanted to be friends with her and it was apparent whatever they had been was now over.

"I-I I'm fine,"

Elijah winced once more, "suppose he didn't take it well then, did he?"

Izzy shook her head, "Would you?"

Before he could answer there was a loud smash and a shout coming from inside the house. Elijah went to run towards the house but a hand on his bicep stopped him from doing so.

Shaking her head Isabella sighed softly,"Don't...leave him."

"It could be Pettigrew!"

"It isn't"

"How can you be sure?!" Jameson was starting to get frustrated, they could not mess up anymore when it came to Sirius Black, they couldn't afford too.

Izzy run a hand over her head tiredly, "I just know, Pettigrew isn't in there, S-Black just needs some time to get his head round what is happening... that we fucked up... again"

She paused, "anyway, even if it was the rat, there's nothing we could do, he would probably be dead already" She spoke it as a fact.

Jameson froze on the spot, his mind conflicted. Could this girl he'd known and seen as a little sister for so long putting her career on the line so Black could get some revenge? Was Pettigrew actually in there and Izzy was distracting him.

"He's not in there," Isabella repeated softly, seeing the look on her partners friend, "If he was I would be in there faster than you Elijah, we know now for sure that we have no idea what he's capable of. But I promise you that he isn't in there. Trust me?"

And he did, trust her, he trusted her with his life, with his families life. But he now knew something, whatever it was between her and Black, it was stronger than he ever imagined.


	25. Chapter 25

**Just a filler and boy can you tell I haven't wrote fanfiction in awhile. I'm trying my best to get back to the standard I was at. I don't know when I'm going to be able to post again but my dissertation is due in three weeks so I will have loads of time after that!**

"Hey Gin," Izzy spoke softly in an attempt not to startle her little sister.

The Auror was perched on her windowsill, eyeing the younger red head who was balanced on the roof just below, arms crossed over her knees, head tilted upwards as she watched the stars.

"Mind if I join you?" Isabella continued after no reply, not waiting for an answer before she was clambering out of her own window onto the roof below, her Doc Martins scuffing on the damp titles. It had obviously been raining earlier on in the evening, not a surprise since they did live in England.

Ginny looked up towards the older Weasley as she manoeuvred her way to sit beside her. Izzy was dressed in her usual muggle band t-shirt, one called Foreigner this time, blue jeans and what looked like very clunky boots.

As the redhead settled down on the damp roof Ginny couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "Are they new? You look like you have bricks on your feet," She gestured down towards Izzy's feet.

"Yeah," Isabella gave out a light chuckle, "I bought them because I thought a friend might like them but…" She trailed off, eyes finding the stars above them.

Though her sister was seemingly oblivious, her sadness did not go unnoticed by Ginny. Izzy had dark shadows under her eyes, not unlike she had before, but then the expression on her face whether she meant to show it or not made it look like she was being haunted by the shadows that graced her usually pale face.

"They didn't like them?"

Izzy's hand automatically rose to clasp the back of her neck, tugging at the hairs that were escaping her hastily wrapped bun, "I didn't get the chance to show him"

"No-no nothing like that" She hurried to continue as Ginny's eyes widened so much, she was starting to look like an owl, "That maybe wasn't the right way to phrase that. We had a… falling out I guess you could call it,"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Boys are stupid,"

Chuckling, Izzy wrapped her arm around the younger girl's shoulder, pulling her closer, "They are", She paused stroking Ginny's shoulder. "But this one was my fault, I messed up."

Ginny seemed to hesitate as she tilted her head to stare up at Isabella, she was so used to seeing her sister as being the strong one, she was a goof yes, loved the wear muggle clothes for a reason that Ginny didn't understand but she was still always so strong.

"I doubt it's that bad, did you give him an anonymous valentines card and when that didn't work, a signing get well soon card, because I did and it obviously didn't work," The small red head muttered.

"Oh Gin, first of all, it's not that type of relationship. Second, you are still young, Harry will notice you soon enough, but you've got some time to just relax before you should be even bothered about boys, they aren't worth you're trouble sometimes," Izzy booped Ginny on the nose with a tender smile.

Instantly reddening Ginny burrowed her face into her sister's armpit, "Who said anything about Harry," She mumbled.

"We've had this conversation before Gin, even if it was a while ago,"

Ginny sighed. She moved out of her sisters embrace, scooting forward on the roof, her shoes making a squeaky sound as they scrambled to keep her upright. They had talked about Harry before, it had only been the once and Ginny had matured since then, there had been less blushing.

"That doesn't matter, were not talking about Harry, I want you to tell me about who you bought the boots for,"

"I didn't buy them for him," Izzy spoke clearly.

And she hadn't. She disliked the idea of doing something to please a man that wasn't something she agreed with but she found herself in a similar situation. When she had been out in one of her trips to Muggle London, she had seen the shoes called Doc Martins, remembering them from some photos Sirius had shown her from when he was in Hogwarts. Izzy had liked the style of shoe in the photo and in the shop when she walked past by the window so she bought some, it was only a bonus that Sirius would love them too.

"Okay…" Ginny spoke slowly, "So what did you do then if it wasn't him?"

Izzy sighed as she looked into her little sisters eyes, "Something that I don't think can be reversed,"


	26. Chapter 26

**I attempted to write Dumbledore but it didn't come out great, also this is not Dumbledore bashing I like him!**

Sirius grumbled to himself as he waited for the mysterious Hogwarts Headmaster to appear. Having gone to school at Hogwarts himself and being a member of the Order of the Phoenix during the First Wizarding War, there was no way the ex-convict could even begin to guess when Dumbledore was going to show up.

Leaning backward in the surprisingly comfy chair opposite the Headmaster's desk, Sirius attempted to ignore the chattering portraits as his mind settled on the events of the past couple of weeks. Pettigrew, that filthy little sneak had managed once again to escape with quite literally, his life.

The man knew that he had lashed out at Isabella unnecessarily but that did not mean he forgave her, whether or not it was her fault, for some reason whenever he thought about her now a small swell of anger brewed in his stomach. Yet, he still couldn't forget the look on the younger women's face as he practically exploded on her. That didn't matter now, his focus was purely on Harry and making sure his Godson had the life he fully deserved to have.

"Sirius," Dumbledore spoke as he entered the office, robes billowing out behind him, rather dramatic considering it was just Sirius in the office and the school was closed for the summer.

"Professor," Sirius stood to great the man.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he sat himself behind the large desk in the centre of the room, "I'd like to remind you again Sirius, that you are no longer a student at this school, feel free to call me Albus, "Sirius nodded, it was a conversation that had been had more than once before.

"What can I help you with?"

Crossing his legs and clasping him hands together in an attempt to look like he wasn't nervous, Sirius took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"I want Harry to come and live with me, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again, I've got Remus and my house feels like it's actually liveable now instead of a grave yard,"

If he hadn't been focusing on the older mans face so intently Sirius would have missed the slight lapse in his expression before the twinkle returned to his eyes like nothing had happened. Dumbledore sighed causing Sirius eyebrows to furrow in confusion, he had expected a jovial agreement but the prolonged silence in the office suggest otherwise.

"What is it," Sirius said, his voice sounding quite and strained. To him there was no point of leaving Dumbledore to talk around the problem when there was obviously a problem.

Dumbledore sighed, reaching up to pinch between his nose, this was not a conversation that he wanted to be having right now or ever. He had hoped that the younger man would have settled in more before they had this conversation.

"There is no way for Harry would be able to come and live with you, I'm sorry Sirius but it is just not possible right now," Dumbledore spoke calmly, his voice holding an apologetic tone coated with regret.

Sirius' shoulders tensed as he learned forward in the chair, his hands clasping onto the sides of the chair in an attempt to reign in his anger. It had been more of a problem than ever since he had left Azkaban, the instances in which his anger swelled in his stomach and his fists clenched. It was manageable most of the time and he was never violent, it often turned into self-loathing but he didn't want to lash out at a man who had done so much for him and who he had admired ever since he was a young lad.

"Why not?" Sirius attempted to stay calm.

Dumbledore clasped his hands together, peering over them towards Sirius, "Harry is where he needs to be,"

"What type of cryptic bullshit is that? Harry hates living with them, they are abusive from what he's told me!" Sirius spoke angrily, "That no good Dursley hated James and Lily! Why should he live with people who don't want him in the first place!"

His eyes darted around the office, glancing from portrait to portrait, all of whom were pretending they were not listening to the fraught conversation Sirius and Dumbledore were having.

"What aren't you telling me?" He demanded.

"There is nothing that I am not telling you Sirius but for the sake of Harry's best interest, he needs to be staying with the Dursleys," Dumbledore spoke plainly.

Sirius cursed, "Bloody Hell, it's in Harry's best interest if he came to live with me!"

"I can't allow that to happen,"

Sirius shot up from the seat he had been slowly inching off, moving so he was standing in front of Dumbledore's desk, "Listen. I'm his Godfather, Lily and James would want me to take care of their kid, I knew them, you know that, we have history together. I can help him,"

"I'm sure you would," Dumbledore pacified, "If it was a possibility, I would have made it happen already Sirius, you will understand soon enough, it is for Harry's own protection,"

The ex-mass murder straightened up, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline, clenching angrily as the implications of what his once Professor was saying registered in his head, "Protection? What does he need protecting from Albus?"

"With everything that's occurred while Harry has been in attendance at Hogwarts, the incident surrounding Quirrell, the Chamber of Secrets. It seems that trouble looks for Harry no matter how much he tries to avoid it. It's inevitable."

Sirius' shoulders slumped as he threw himself back into the chair, running a hand through his growing hair, "You better not be lying to me,"

"Nothing can be achieved right now by lying Sirius,"

The man wasn't sure if he believed what Dumbledore was saying but there is nothing he could do if the wiser man didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't.

Izzy sighed as she lent against the lamppost on the pavement near Sirius' house, disillusioned so no muggles could see her. She was nearing the end of her shift, her back aching from being stood in almost the same position for over seven hours.

The Auror office had deemed it necessary for there to be a least one Auror on guard at Sirius' house after Pettigrew's escape in case the rat decided to enact some revenge on his once friend. It made sense for the guard duty to happen and she was glad that she was given the opportunity to take part but at the same time, it hurt.

It had been a few weeks since Sirius exploded on her, she had thought by now that he would have calmed down but he hadn't made any contact with her but at the same time she hadn't tried to reach out either. Isabella didn't know what was holding her back, it was like an invisible force stopping her from just walking up to the dark house and knocking on his door. It was probably the possibility that he may not have forgiven her and actually wanted nothing to do with Izzy, she wasn't sure if she could handle that.

Izzy was shocked out of her thoughts by a crashing behind Sirius' house. Raising her want, she ran quickly to where the noise was coming from, hearing cursing from behind the bins for Sirius' house.


End file.
